Emotional moment! Yuki Tsunoda waves hands towards 'old team' during Japanese GP practice

It was an emotional day for F1 driver Yuki Tsunoda at the Suzuka Circuit during the opening practice session of the Japanese Grand Prix . The moment carried special significance for three reasons: it marked his debut for Red Bull Racing , it unfolded at his home circuit, and he had the rare privilege of driving in front of his own people—cheered on by loud, passionate fans. Tsunoda was drafted into Red Bull from the sister team, Racing Bulls , just last week as a replacement for Liam Lawson.

Yuki Tsunoda couldn’t help himself from greeting his old team
Yuki Tsunoda was clearly happy, though fully aware of the expectations placed on him. The weight of a nation, as they say, rested on his shoulders. In his first official outing for Red Bull, Tsunoda posted a time of 1:29.172 across 25 laps to finish sixth in the first practice. In the second session, however, he slipped down to 18th place.

McLaren’s Lando Norris set the fastest lap in FP1, leading the timesheets ahead of Mercedes driver George Russell, while Ferrari's Charles Leclerc rounded out the top three.

During the session, Tsunoda had an emotional moment when he passed the Racing Bulls pit box—his former team. Now racing as Max Verstappen’s teammate, the Japanese driver waved toward his old crew, visibly moved by the memories flooding back. F1's official social media handle shared the touching moment with the caption: "Yuki couldn't help himself when he saw his old team."

Yuki couldn't help himself when he saw his old team 👋#F1 #JapaneseGP @yukitsunoda07 pic.twitter.com/p37vLpbxDl

— Formula 1 (@F1) April 4, 2025

Earlier, Tsunoda also posted a heartfelt message for Racing Bulls, thanking them for their support throughout his journey. Along with the message, he shared a series of joyful photos featuring his former teammates. "I want to send a massive thank you to everyone at @visacashapprb for the last four and a half years I spent with the team. As soon as I joined I always felt incredibly welcome and comfortable. I moved to Italy shortly after joining AlphaTauri in 2021 and it has been my home away from home ever since," Tsunoda wrote.

"I was always treated like family, invited into their homes, playing football or padel with the team after work, and that is something I will never forget. thank you for the amazing memories and the best of luck for the rest of the season!" he added.

Also Read: Yuki Tsunoda says Max Verstappen won’t tell him “the truth” about Red Bull car, bids farewell to Racing Bulls in heartfelt note

The third practice session and the Qualifying race will be held on Saturday. The final race is on Sunday amid predictions of rain. If Yuki Tsunoda manages to win a podium, he will only be the third Japanese driver to do so at the Japanese Grand Prix.