A close call for Yuki Tsunoda! The former Red Bull F1 driver had a terrifying experience during a showrun event in San Francisco, but thankfully, he emerged unscathed.
On Saturday, the world-renowned Red Bull F1 team, along with its new engine partner Ford, put on a spectacular display of their machinery on the city's waterfront. As part of his role as Red Bull's test and reserve driver for 2026, Yuki Tsunoda took to the wheel of a 2011-spec showcar. However, what should have been a thrilling showcase turned into a fiery disaster.
Fan footage captured the dramatic moment when Tsunoda's car suddenly erupted into flames, sending shockwaves through the audience. But amidst the chaos, there was a silver lining - Tsunoda appeared to be unharmed, a true testament to the safety measures in place.
The Japanese driver's journey with Red Bull has been a rollercoaster. After losing his race seat at the end of the 2025 season, Tsunoda found himself on the sidelines for a year. His F1 career began with the AlphaTauri squad in 2021, and he remained with Red Bull's junior team until the start of the 2025 campaign. When Liam Lawson was unexpectedly dropped after just two races in 2025, Tsunoda stepped up to fill his shoes.
But it wasn't an easy ride for Tsunoda. He struggled to match the pace of his teammate, Max Verstappen, and went through a challenging streak of seven consecutive races without scoring a single point, from Monaco to Hungary. Despite his efforts, Tsunoda managed to accumulate only 33 points throughout the year, placing him 17th in the drivers' standings.
Red Bull made a bold decision for the 2026 season, replacing Tsunoda with the promising French rookie, Isack Hadjar, who impressed during his debut season with Racing Bulls. However, Tsunoda remains an integral part of the Red Bull family as a test and reserve driver, and he could very well find himself back in the race action if any of the team's four drivers need to be replaced.
The 2026 season holds a special significance for Red Bull as it marks the debut of their first in-house-built power unit. Developed in collaboration with Ford, the new Red Bull power unit has already shown impressive performance and reliability during pre-season testing. While the overall competitive landscape remains shrouded in mystery after the Barcelona shakedown and Bahrain tests, Red Bull's power unit has garnered praise from many rival teams.
As we eagerly await the start of the 2026 F1 season, set to begin with the Australian Grand Prix on March 6-8, the question remains: Can Red Bull's new power unit propel them to the top? And will we see Yuki Tsunoda make a comeback? Stay tuned, as the drama unfolds on the race tracks!
