Yuki Tsunoda shares “embarrassing” feeling of not knowing his $8M fan Emily Ratajkowski

Red Bull driver, Yuki Tsunoda, was embarrassed as he revealed that he didn't recognize popular model and actress, Emily Ratajkowski. The actress' pictures dressed in Tsunoda's merch went viral ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.

Tsunoda's life took a significant turn last month as he was promoted as a Red Bull driver from the Japanese Grand Prix onwards. After racing for VCARB for four years, he replaced Liam Lawson and got his due.

Meanwhile, Tsunoda has a huge fan base, especially in Asia. However, he found a new supporter in American model Emily Ratajkowski. Ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, she shared a video dressed in a t-shirt featuring Tsunoda.

Ratajkowski, whose net worth is $8 million (as per Celebrity Net Worth), announced herself as a Tsunoda fan. However, the Japanese driver was completely unaware of the model's existence.

In a video with the Red Flags Podcast, Yuki Tsunoda revealed that he was embarrassed at first for not knowing Emily Ratajkowski, but when he googled her, he was fascinated by her beauty.

"The embarrassing thing is, I didn't know her. I'm sorry. A lot of friends texted me and were like, 'Emarata (Emily's nickname) is wearing your shirt.' I was like, who is Emarata? Obviously I started searching Google, and like, wow. She's so beautiful. It's incredible to see. When I entered the paddock today, I felt like a king."

Tsunoda's honest confession left the fans in splits as they highlighted his innocence. Meanwhile, the Japanese driver is slowly getting a hang of the new Red Bull car. In Miami, he finished P10, to score points for the second time this season with the Bulls.

However, Yuki is still lagging behind in the title race. With nine points, he is placed P11.

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Yuki Tsunoda needs time to adjust to RB21

Yuki Tsunoda at F1 Grand Prix of Miami - Source: Getty

Red Bull's 2025 season challenger RB21, is a highly volatile car. While Max Verstappen is managing it, Yuki Tsunoda is struggling to adapt. He drove the car in the last four races but asked for more time to get used to it completely.

Talking to the media, he said:

“It just needs more time, I guess, to get used to it fully. I’m happy with the progress so far. The confidence is quite there, but just when you push 100% on the limit in qualifying, that’s where you kind of face it for the first time, right? Because you don’t push 100% until then. I wouldn’t say the car is super difficult—it just needs more time to define where the limit is.”

Yuki Tsunoda had never tested the RB21 before the Japanese Grand Prix. However, he believes he is making progress with each passing race. That being said, Tsunoda has security, as Red Bull promised to retain him for the rest of the season.