Will Tsunoda be the next Japanese on a Formula 1 podium?

It's official : Yuki Tsunoda is promoted to Red BullThe Japanese driver is taking advantage of the poor results of his former teammate Liam Lawson, who has been demoted to Racing Bulls, to join the parent team at the next round of the season, at Suzuka (April 4-6). A beneficial promotion or a poisoned chalice for the Japanese driver? Only time will tell. Nevertheless, the 25-year-old driver has had the merit of changing the situation within the clan Red Bull, while its future still seemed very bleak a few weeks ago.

« He lacks the necessary consistency, explained Helmut Marko to justify the Japanese's non-start at the start of the season. « He continues to make mistakes and Liam Lawson is certainly mentally stronger." Bet lost for Red Bull, backpedaling in the face of the Kiwi's poor performances, light years away from the omnipotent Max Verstappen. For its part, Yuki tsunoda has proudly displayed his form since the start of the season, the fifth of his career. Sabotaged twice by his team's strategy during the first races, his performances in qualifying he shone, notably with his fifth place on the grid in Australia.

« Yes, I'm 100% ready. The Red Bull is a faster car (than the Racing Bull),” declared Yuki Tsunoda, intrepid, after the Chinese Grand Prix. For the moment, the RB21 seems to be a complex car. If the four-time reigning world champion manages to make his machine work (2nd in Australia, 4th in China), not everyone has his talent. Thus, Yuki Tsunoda will discover his new car at home, on the Suzuka circuit, which hosts the third round of the season.

If Yuki Tsunoda manages to make the capricious RB21 work, his chances of entering a very selective club will increase: that of Japanese drivers who have already reached a podium in Formula 1. In total, 18 Japanese drivers have started a Grand Prix in the history of the discipline. Only three of them have had the chance to taste the champagne of the podium… Yuki Tsunoda, by joining the Milton Keynes team, increases his chances of enjoying it himself. Will he have what it takes to become the fourth Japanese driver in history to step onto the podium at the end of a Formula 4 Grand Prix? Here are the people he will have to imitate.

Suzuka 1990: Aguri Suzuki takes advantage of the duel of the gods

©Eric Vargiolu / DPPI

The first Japanese driver to set foot on a Formula 1 podium was Aguri Suzuki, who finished third in his home Grand Prix in 1990. Suzuka was then the scene of the duel at the top between Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, fighting to decide the championship. Their collision at the first corner gives the competitors a rare opportunity, given the dominance of the McLaren was exceptional that year. Thus, the Benetton-Fords of Nelson Piquet and Roberto Moreno secured the double while Aguri Suzuki achieved the feat of securing a Top 3 finish at the wheel of his Larousse-Lamborghini. He took the third step of the podium and gave Japan the first podium for a native of the country.

Indianapolis 2004: Takuma Sato behind the Ferraris

©Eric Vargiolu / DPPI

The 2004 United States Grand Prix was marked by two serious accidents caused by Michelin tire failures, a precedent to the 2005 scandal at the same circuit. While the victory of Michael Schumacher ahead of his teammate Rubens Barrichello is nothing short of casual; Takuma Sato's presence in third place is striking. Third in qualifying at the wheel of his BAR-Honda, the Japanese driver took advantage of the accidents behind him to maintain his position. This is the second time in history that a Japanese driver has reached the podium in the premier class of motorsport. Since then, only one of his compatriots has repeated this performance...

Suzuka 2012: Kamui Kobayashi, home hero

©François Flamand / DPPI

During the 2012 season, the Sauber C31 of Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez is performing well. The two drivers frequently find themselves in the points, but the Japanese driver has only managed to secure a podium finish once: at his home Grand Prix in Suzuka in 2012. Fourth in qualifying and third at the first corner of the race, Kobayashi was able to maintain his position by protecting himself from the McLaren.Mercedes Jenson Button's insistent second half of the race. The Japanese driver thus achieved the best result of his career at home and remains the last Japanese driver to have reached the podium of a Formula 1 Grand Prix.

Since then, it's been a quiet moment. The Japanese have been waiting 14 years for a native of the country to return to the top three steps of a Grand Prix. By signing with Red Bull, Yuki Tsunoda should have a great opportunity to become the next driver to enter this very exclusive circle. And what if he did it on home soil as early as April 6?

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