The Suzuka weekend lights up with joy at Tsunoda's move to Red Bull. After the faded bond with Liam Lawson, which lasted only two races with the Austrian team, the Japanese driver's adventure alongside Max Verstappen kicks off this weekend. Having grown up in the Red Bull family, Tsunoda has made no secret of his happiness at this great opportunity.
In numerous interviews over the last few days, the Japanese driver admitted that he has a dream: to stand on the podium on Sunday, right in front of his home crowd. An understandable desire, that of a young driver who, at the wheel of one of the most important single-seaters on the grid, could have the chance to achieve great results. However, there is much more behind this possibility: a story that not everyone knows and that could place Yuki in a very important slice of his country's history.
Roll of honour made in Japan
In the history of Formula 1, six Japanese drivers have been part of the top category: Noritake Takahara, Masahiro Hasemi, Kazuyoshi Hoshino, Aguri Suzuki and Kamui Kobayashi. Of this precious list, two of them achieved an important result, the podium.
Aguri Suzuki was the first Japanese driver to stand on the podium in an F1 race, right at Suzuka back in 1990, alongside him winner Nelson Piquet and runner-up Roberto Moreno; same fate but many years later for Kamui Kobayashi, in 2012.
Yuki Tsunoda is part of this list: if he manages to get on the podium he would become the third Japanese driver to stand on the podium in F1 history; but if Red Bull were to start being more competitive during the course of the championship, who knows if he could become the greatest Japanese driver in F1 with a win? It is still too early to make such assumptions, so in the meantime let's enjoy the Japanese GP, which kicks off tomorrow with free practice.
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