Yuki Tsunoda Pemandu F1 Pertama Yang Disokong Honda Dalam 12 Tahun

Sejarah Honda dengan Formula 1 dipenuhi dengan pahit manis. Bila saja mereka menyempurnakan enjin V6 kuasa hibrid mereka, mereka mengumumkan bahawa mereka tidak akan kembali sebagai pembekal pada tahun 2022. Walau bagaimanapun, ada berita baik kerana mereka baru-baru ini telah mengumumkan bahawa mereka akan menghantar seorang dari program Junior Driver mereka untuk mengambil bahagian di dalam pasukan Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda F1. Pemandu F1 baharu ini bernama Yuki Tsunoda dan dia baru berumur 20 tahun.

Walaupun masih muda, dia mempunyai keyakinan penuh pasukan dan Honda. Dia telah membuktikan dirinya berulang kali, memenangi JAF-F4 Jepun pada tahun 2017 dan 2018 dan memperoleh podium untuk pelbagai Kejuaraan Formula 4, Formula 3 dan Formula 2 yang lain. Senarai lengkap pencapaian perlumbaannya terdapat di bawah.

Perlu diingatkan bahawa ini adalah pemanduan Formula 1 yang disokong oleh Honda pertama sejak Takuma Sato berlumba antara tahun 2002 dan 2008.

Sejarah penglibatan Honda dalam Formula Satu memang lama. Mereka pertama kali berkecimpung dalam disiplin ini ialah pada tahun 1964, tetapi meninggalkannya beberapa tahun kemudian. Mereka kembali pada awal 80-an hingga awal 90-an sebagai pembekal enjin. Kemasukan mereka seterusnya ke Formula 1 berlaku pada tahun 2000 hinggalah kepada Krisis Kewangan Global. Pada tahun 2013, mereka memasuki F1 semula untuk membekal enjin kepada pasukan McLaren F1, tetapi kejayaan hanya datang pada tahun 2018 dan berterusan hingga kehari ini.

KENYATAAN MEDIA

Honda is pleased to announce that Yuki Tsunoda, a member of the Honda’s Junior Driver program will drive for Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda in the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship (F1). The 20 year old, from Kanagawa, Japan is also a member of the Red Bull Junior Team and this year has been racing for the Carlin team in the FIA Formula 2 championship (F2), regarded as the main feeder series for Formula 1. He will now be making the step up to Honda hybrid power unit next year.

In his rookie F2 season, Tsunoda took three wins, finished on the podium a further four times and ended the year in third place overall in the championship, to ensure that he has enough points to be granted a Formula 1 super license. He also completed a test in a 2018 Formula 1 car at Imola in early November and has just taken part in the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi, driving for his new team.

The last Japanese driver to race in Formula 1 was Kamui Kobayashi, while the last Honda-supported driver in the category was Takuma Sato, who competed in F1 from 2002 to 2008.

Quote From Yuki Tsunoda

“Like most racing drivers, it has always been my goal to race in Formula 1, so I am very happy with this news. I want to thank Scuderia AlphaTauri, Red Bull and Dr. Helmut Marko for giving me this opportunity, and of course everyone from Honda, for all their support so far in my career, giving me great opportunities to race in Europe. I must also thank the teams that I have raced with to get to this point, particularly Carlin, with whom I have learned so much this year. I realize that I will be carrying the hopes of a lot of Japanese F1 fans next year and I will be doing my best for them, too.”

Yuki Tsunoda Driver Profile

Birthdate: 
May 11, 2000

Birthplace: 
Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan

Career summary:
2016 Graduated Suzuka Circuit Racing School Formula
2017 Winner of Japanese JAF-F4 
Japanese FIA F4 3rd in Championship
2018 Winner of Japanese FIA F4
2019 FIA F3 with Jenzer Motorsport, 9th in Championship, 1 win, 3 podiums
Euro Formula Open Championship with Team Moto Park, 4th in Championship
2020 FIA F2 with Carlin, 3rd in Championship, 3 wins, 7 podiums and 4 Poles