Yuki Tsunoda showcased resilience and consistency in 2024, delivering strong performances despite limited rewards and controversial team decisions.
For the second consecutive year, Yuki Tsunoda had two teammates within RB F1 and once again emerged as the leader under all circumstances for the Faenza team. Over the first 18 races of the season, he faced Daniel Ricciardo.
The Australian nearly matched the Japanese driver in race performance, but Tsunoda held the upper hand in qualifying. Despite a downturn in the VCARB 01’s performance, Tsunoda remained the benchmark within the team.
After two disappointing opening races, he delivered an impressive seventh-place finish in Australia and scored a point at home in Japan. Following a retirement in China, he strung together three consecutive points-scoring finishes.
Seventh in Miami, he secured tenth at Imola, the team’s home race. He then stood out with a strong eighth-place finish in Monaco, on the Principality’s demanding circuit.
Despite adding further points at Silverstone and the Hungaroring, he later faced challenges as RB F1 struggled, with several teams catching up or surpassing them.
His results became more difficult post-summer, yet he maintained composure in qualifying. When Liam Lawson replaced Ricciardo for the final two triple-header rounds, Tsunoda held firm.
While his race results were solid against the New Zealander—finishing two of the last four races in the points and ahead in all four—it was in qualifying where Tsunoda truly shone.
Against Lawson, he was simply unbeaten in qualifying, consistently delivering the fastest lap in every session. Tsunoda scored 30 of the Italian team’s 46 points during the 2024 season.
Such a performance makes Red Bull’s decision to promote Lawson alongside Max Verstappen in 2025 even harder to understand, with Helmut Marko citing the younger driver’s higher potential as the reason.
Tsunoda will have another year with the drinks manufacturer’s second team to try and convince another outfit to pick him up for 2026, as he likely enters his final season with Racing Bulls. Unless, of course, Red Bull decides to give him his chance in 2026…
Statistics
| Category | Yuki Tsunoda |
|---|---|
| Championship Position | 12th |
| Points | 30 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Pole Positions | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Fastest Laps | 0 |
| Hat-Tricks | 0 |
| Grand Slams | 0 |
| Laps Led | 0 |
| Laps Completed | 1,249 (86.50%) |
| Average Qualifying Position | 11.17 |
| Average Race Position | 11.85 |
Comparison with Daniel Ricciardo
| Category | Yuki Tsunoda | Daniel Ricciardo |
|---|---|---|
| Race | 9 | 8 |
| Qualifying | 12 | 6 |
Comparison with Liam Lawson
| Category | Yuki Tsunoda | Liam Lawson |
|---|---|---|
| Race | 4 | 2 |
| Qualifying | 6 | 0 |
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F1 2024 Season Review – Yuki Tsunoda F1 2024 Season Review – Yuki Tsunoda
