Yuki Tsunoda returned to the spotlight this past weekend in San Francisco, taking part in a Formula 1 demonstration event. It was his first public appearance since leaving the F1 grid at the end of 2025. The outing, however, did not go as planned, as the Japanese driver was forced to abandon his car when it suddenly caught fire.
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Tsunoda was behind the wheel of Red Bull's RB7, the car that secured the team's 2011 championship. After performing a series of crowd-pleasing donuts, he brought the car to a halt. Moments later, flames and smoke erupted from the rear, prompting marshals and spectators to urge him to move away. Tsunoda remained calm, stepping clear of the burning machine without panic.
Currently, Tsunoda serves as Red Bull Racing's reserve driver, having lost his race seat to Isack Hadjar at the close of last season. His role now involves supporting the team in testing and simulator duties, while still representing Red Bull at promotional events such as this showrun.
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The RB7 is a pre-hybrid era Formula 1 car, known for its distinctive sound and raw performance. In 2011, Sebastian Vettel drove it to his second world championship, winning 11 races that season. For modern demonstrations, Red Bull updates the livery with current sponsors, ensuring consistency with the team's branding worldwide.
This was not the first time Tsunoda has faced such drama during a showrun. In 2024, while driving a 2012-spec Red Bull car at an event in Taiwan, a similar fire incident occurred during donuts. Interestingly, the same RB7 chassis he drove in San Francisco had also caught fire once before, back in 2014 during a Russian showrun with Alex Lynn at the wheel.
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