Born in Sagamihara, Japan, Yuki Tsunoda is one of the most exciting names to watch in Formula 1 right now. His stratospheric rise to motorsport’s top tier started in 2019, when he arrived in Europe from Japanese F4 and – with no knowledge of the circuits – quickly earned an F1 seat with AlphaTauri, now Racing Bulls. Today driving for Red Bull Racing, Tsunoda says being on the team fulfils a dream he’s had since his early days as a junior driver and stepping up to single-seater.
‘Red Bull is very competitive and brings me to another level. It gives me a new challenge every time,’ he says.
On and off the track, Tsunoda can be found wearing his TAG Heuer watch. The Swiss watchmaker sponsors the Red Bull team and is a brand that Tsunoda loves for its comfort and shape.
‘I’m quite picky with watches and I don’t know if it’s my wrist shape or what, but I can be very annoyed by a watch, whether because of the wrong shape, materials or strap. Unlike all the other brands I’ve tried, a TAG Heuer is very comfortable. I even forget I’m wearing it sometimes. It just suits me.’
The brand also suits for his downtime in Milan, which today Tsunoda calls home. ‘If I’m going to a nice restaurant, a watch shows a bit more elegance. It dresses things up,’ he says.
Here, Tsunoda shares his favourite spots in around the Italian city.
I moved to Milan just a few months ago and I especially love the city for the culture and restaurants. Coming from Japan, where they excel at food, cuisine is very important to me. It also helps me to destress. If you have a bad day, the right food gives you more positive energy for the next day.
In Milan, among my favourites is Langosteria – the seafood pasta is really nice. I also like Nobuya, which has fantastic Japanese food. The chef used to work in Red Bull hospitality – he was our chef during race weeks. He worked in F1 before his restaurant opened here, as it was being built and finished.
I really love the atmosphere in Milan, especially the people. One of my favourite places is the Duomo; it really is special. But I also like spending time outside the city. I love Wakeparadise, which is in a 50,000-square foot cable park really close to Milan. I recently picked up wakeboarding and really enjoy it. I also love Lake Como, which is easy to get to from Milan. You can go hiking or be on the lake – it’s just beautiful.
Ming Liu is a London-based luxury and lifestyle writer who contributes to the Financial Times, HTSI and the New York Times, as well as Vanity Fair, Tatler and British Vogue
