Japan’s Yuki’s Tsunoda will replace Daniil Kvyat at AlphaTauri in Formula One next season.
Tsunoda, part of the young driver programmes of Red Bull and its engine supplier Honda, will partner Italian Grand Prix winner Pierre Gasly. Tsunoda was F2’s rookie of the year in 2020, scoring three wins on his way to third in the championship.
He will be one of three rookies on the grid next year alongside Haas duo Mick Schumacher, who won the F2 title, and Nikita Mazepin.
The news likely end’s Kvyat’s career in F1, with all but one seat taken for next season. Kvyat has had a rollercoaster time in F1. After being promoted from Toro Rosso (AlphaTauri’s former guise) to Red Bull in 2015, he was dropped for Max Verstappen ahead of the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.
He was then dropped by Toro Rosso altogether in 2017 but was re-hired in 2019, only to be outperformed by Gasly this season.
The only piece of the 2021 grid left to fall into place is at Red Bull, with the team yet to confirm whether Alex Albon will remain at the team or whether it will sign Sergio Perez.