Tsunoda Fever Soars with Red Bull Move: 60,000 Fans on Friday at Suzuka, a Modern-Era Record
Friday at the Japanese Grand Prix saw over 60,000 fans in attendance, according to data from Motorsport.com Japan—a modern-era record for Formula 1. The last time Suzuka drew such numbers on a Friday was back in 1997. The reason? The highly anticipated debut of local hero Yuki Tsunoda in a Red Bull.
This is the second consecutive year that the Japanese Grand Prix is being held in the spring, rather than in early autumn as in the past. Friday’s 60,000 spectators surpassed the 50,000 from 2024, which had already topped the 42,000 in 2023 and the 38,000 in 2022. While the growing global popularity of Formula 1 has certainly played a role, the main reason is clear: the chance to finally see Yuki Tsunoda in a top team.
Following last week’s official announcement, many Japanese fans rushed to buy tickets for the weekend, hoping to witness their hometown hero on the podium. While the Red Bull RB21 isn’t as dominant as its predecessors, there’s still hope among the crowd that Tsunoda can make it to the podium—one way or another.
It wouldn’t be the first time a home hero reaches the podium at Suzuka: it’s already happened in 1990 with Aguri Suzuki and again in 2012 with Kamui Kobayashi, both finishing in an impressive third place. No Japanese driver has ever won or finished second in their home Grand Prix—Tsunoda will be aiming to break that record and secure the first podium of his career, hoping to turn the weekend around after finishing sixth and 18th in the first two practice sessions.
Photo: F1
