“I Can Smell It From Behind”: When 5-Year-Old Yuki Tsunoda Won a Race With Sh*t in His Overalls

Racing drivers have to face some of the most difficult challenges while competing on the track, which most ordinary individuals would not dare to face. However, there are still some challenges that can be embarrassing for them. RB driver Yuki Tsunoda revealed one such instance when he was five and won a race with “sh*t” in his overalls.

The Japanese driver recently appeared on The Red Flags podcast when he was reminded of this incident by taking him down memory lane. After being shown a photo of him standing on the podium, Tsunoda took a while to gather his thoughts and explain what he had to say, presumably due to embarrassment.

However, since he could not figure out any other way to explain what he had to say, he simply said,

“I remember this blue suit actually. There were not good moments but you know when you as a racing driver take a…take a…sh*t“.

Tsunoda explained the struggles that racing drivers face when they take a “sh*t” in their overalls before adding that since he didn’t “do it perfectly well” that one time, he had to face the embarrassing consequences. He revealed that when he put on his overalls back, “I can smell it from behind,” an explanation that led the hosts of the podcast to burst with laughter.

Despite being able to smell his “sh*t” because a part of it was stuck on the back of his overalls, he went on to win the race. While Tsunoda may not have felt embarrassed back then, he evidently faced it now as he concluded by stating, “That was not a good moment”. Luckily, this moment did not stop him from carrying on racing.

Tsunoda’s years of hard work have helped him reach F1

Tsunoda began karting at five and won the Japanese series championship for his age group, there were always early signs that the driver from Sagamihara was very talented.

Since Tsunoda’s family could not afford the expenses when he moved up to single-seater racing, the young Japanese driver needed a bit of fortune, and that came his way when Honda spotted him. Ever since, the Japanese manufacturer has supported Tsunoda and continue to do so.

With Honda becoming Red Bull’s engine supplier from 2018-19 onwards and Tsunoda winning the F4 championship the same year, the Japanese manufacturer also helped him to join Red Bull’s junior team alongside the Honda academy.

Ever since Tsunoda has maintained strong ties with both Red Bull and Honda. However, that could change come 2026 when Honda join forces with Aston Martin and Red Bull form an alliance with Ford for their engines.