# Yuki Tsunoda — 2023 season

Source: https://www.thef1formula.com/seasons/yuki-tsunoda-2023
Last updated: 2026-07-01

> Yuki Tsunoda's 2023 season with Scuderia AlphaTauri saw him consistently outperform his machinery, securing 17 points and a 14th-place finish in the Drivers' Championship.

Yuki Tsunoda's 2023 Formula 1 season with Scuderia AlphaTauri was a demonstration of quiet progression, where the Japanese driver consistently maximized the potential of a car that frequently struggled for pace, culminating in his highest points tally across his career to date.

## Going in

The 2023 season marked Tsunoda's third year in Formula 1, all with the Faenza-based squad, which operated under the AlphaTauri moniker. Entering the ground-effect era, the AT04 chassis was anticipated to be a challenging car, a reality that quickly materialized. The midfield battle was intense, with teams like McLaren, Alpine, and Aston Martin vying for the lower points positions. Tsunoda's objective was clear: establish himself as the primary driver within the team and consistently deliver results when the car allowed, a crucial step for any driver aiming for a long-term F1 career. His performance would be scrutinized, especially given the competitive nature of the [Formula 1 — official site](https://www.formula1.com/en) grid, where every point matters.

## How it played out

Tsunoda's season began with a pair of 11th-place finishes in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, narrowly missing points. His first point came at the Australian Grand Prix, finishing 10th, followed by another point-scoring finish in Azerbaijan. These early results provided glimmers of potential, but the AT04's inherent limitations meant consistent top-10 finishes were a significant challenge. The mid-season proved particularly lean, with a string of non-points finishes from Miami to Hungary, a period where the team struggled to find performance upgrades. Tsunoda faced a rotating roster of teammates throughout the year, initially Nyck de Vries, then Daniel Ricciardo, and Liam Lawson for a few races. Despite these changes, Tsunoda maintained a competitive edge, often being the stronger performer within the AlphaTauri garage. His resilience was evident, as he continued to push for every available tenth, a characteristic that has defined his F1 journey. The season saw him complete 20 of the 22 races, with two DNFs occurring in Italy (engine failure) and Singapore (collision damage).

## Defining moments

The latter half of the season saw a notable uptick in AlphaTauri's performance, coinciding with Tsunoda's strongest results. At the Belgian Grand Prix, he secured another point with a 10th-place finish, a testament to his ability to capitalize on opportunities. The United States Grand Prix was a standout, where he finished 8th, adding 5 crucial points to his tally. This performance was followed by a 9th-place finish in São Paulo, earning 2 more points. The season finale in Abu Dhabi provided a fitting conclusion, with Tsunoda starting 6th and converting it into an 8th-place finish, securing 4 points. These late-season performances were vital, not just for his personal championship standing of 14th with 17 points, but also for AlphaTauri's fight in the Constructors' Championship, reminiscent of [Fernando Alonso's strong start to 2018](/seasons/fernando-alonso-2018) with McLaren-Renault, where maximizing early opportunities was key.

## What it meant

Yuki Tsunoda's 2023 season was a significant step in his maturation as a Formula 1 driver. He demonstrated improved consistency and a more controlled approach, reducing the errors that sometimes characterized his earlier years. His 17 points were a clear improvement over his 2022 tally and placed him comfortably ahead of his various teammates in the drivers' standings. In a season where the AlphaTauri AT04 was frequently one of the slower cars on the grid, Tsunoda’s ability to extract points in six different races highlighted his growing race craft and strategic awareness. This consistent effort in a challenging car echoes the determination seen from drivers like [Fernando Alonso in his 2017 season](/seasons/fernando-alonso-2017) with McLaren-Honda, where points were hard-won achievements. His performances solidified his position within the Red Bull driver program and secured his seat for the following season, a journey not unlike the persistent efforts of drivers such as [Fernando Alonso during his 2015 season](/seasons/fernando-alonso-2015) with McLaren, where consistent performance despite car limitations was key to maintaining standing. The 2023 season served as a robust foundation, proving his capability to perform under pressure and contribute meaningfully to a team striving for midfield relevance, a common challenge in the [Wikipedia: Formula One](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_One) landscape. For a detailed breakdown of historical F1 data, including driver and constructor standings, resources like [Jolpica/Ergast — 2026 season data](https://api.jolpi.ca/ergast/f1/2026.json) provide comprehensive records.