Yuki Tsunoda was seen driving an F1 car in San Francisco on Saturday, but the Red Bull reserve driver was forced to jump out of his car after it caught fire
Red Bull reserve driver Yuki Tsunoda needed to make a swift exit after an F1 car burst into flames during a demonstration run in San Francisco.
Following the loss of his position as Red Bull’s second driver to Isaak Hadjar at the conclusion of last season, Tsunoda is serving as the team’s third option in F1 2026. The Japanese driver endured difficulties alongside Max Verstappen after his elevation to a Red Bull seat following two races of the 2025 campaign, managing just 33 points across his 22 grid appearances.
Yet on Saturday, Tsunoda, who was present at last week’s pre-season testing in Bahrain with Red Bull, climbed back into the cockpit of an F1 car for the first time since the season finale in Abu Dhabi. The 25-year-old participated in a demonstration run in San Francisco.
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Nevertheless, Tsunoda was required to leap from his vehicle in swift fashion after his car – the RB7 piloted by Sebastian Vettel during his second F1 championship triumph in 2011 – ignited.
Social media footage revealed smoke billowing from the rear of the Red Bull after Tsunoda spun the car close to fans. And with flames emerging, alarmed onlookers at the circuit’s edge could be heard urging the former AlphaTauri and Racing Bulls driver to “get out” of the vehicle.
Tsunoda then released his safety harness and rose before examining the fire and exiting the car as emergency vehicles raced to reach the scene. Whilst the incident would undoubtedly have been irritating for Tsunoda, supporters in San Francisco could be heard chanting, “Yuki, Yuki, Yuki, Yuki” as they assembled to back the Red Bull reserve driver on his comeback to an F1 car.
Tsunoda has contested 111 F1 races since making his debut for AlphaTauri in 2021. During that period, he has accumulated 124 points across five seasons, with his best finish in the Drivers’ Championship coming in 2024 when he placed 12th whilst racing for Racing Bulls.
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Though Tsunoda also serves as Racing Bulls’ reserve driver in 2026, he is aiming for a comeback to a full-time drive for the 2027 season.
Speaking after missing out on the Red Bull second seat in December, Tsunoda said: “Obviously, I was disappointed. It’s tough.
“At the same time, I’m not fully recognising or fully feeling it yet that I’m not racing next year. It’s surprising that I was kind of okay the next morning – I was thinking about Abu Dhabi. It’s not ideal.
“What I’ve got to do here is exactly the same, what I was trying to do in Qatar. It’s to be competitive as much as possible and ideally help Max [Verstappen] and finish as high as possible for myself and the team.”