With the Miami Grand Prix days away, Formula 1 energy has already made its way onto the University of Miami’s campus.
The Pen to Pitlane event at the Watsco Center brought Red Bull Racing into Miami’s orange and green spotlight, giving attendees a rare, up-close look at some of the personalities behind one of the most legendary teams in the paddock — including reserve and test driver Yuki Tsunoda, who raced in Formula 1 for five seasons.
Along with Tsunoda, Red Bull brand ambassador and former chief mechanic Calum Nicholas and Red Bull Group Lead of our Technical Partnerships team Jack Harrington took to the stage.
Tsunoda, who’s known for his quips, unfiltered radio messages and fiery personality, delivered exactly what you’d expect: speed, honesty, and just a little bit of trouble with the filter.
About ten minutes into speaking, Tsunoda swore.
He paused, eyes wide.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” he said quickly, as the room erupted into laughter.
It was a small, unscripted moment — but one that captured the tone of the morning, and the personality of a driver navigating the balance between authenticity and expectation within the highest level of motorsport.
Throughout his career, Tsunoda’s candor has stood out in a setting that, by design, leans polished.
“I was just literally shouting at the radio,” Tsunoda said, referencing his radio messages that have since become legend in the mythological landscape of motorsport. “I was swearing a lot.”
“Swear words are beautiful,” he laughed. “They’re an amazing thing.”
That honesty is part of what has made him one of Formula 1’s more compelling young drivers — but it’s also something he confessed that he’s had to rein in.
“You get hammered by [the] media, and you have to be professional,” he said. “There are a lot of things you want to say, even if you can’t.”
At this particular event — one centered around fan access and brand visibility — Tsunoda’s ability to toe that line between media-trained and completely unfiltered was on full display.
Even in a room built for engagement and outreach, his instinct to speak candidly never fully disappeared. It just arrived a second faster than a so-called media-friendly filter.
The event itself served as a preview of what’s to come this weekend in Miami, as the Formula 1 weekend kicks off Friday, May 1. As this sport continues to rapidly expand its presence in the U.S., this upcoming weekend promises high energy and high stakes.
While content creators and media personalities have helped to expand the brand globally — something both Nicholas and Harrington addressed to the audience in Watsco Center — it’s the drivers who still stand as the main draw.
And for Tsunoda, the conversation quickly turned back to what happens on track.
“The power I felt through my body when I started the throttle was completely different,” Tsunoda explained, answering a question about making the jump from F1 driver to reserve/test driver. “Formula 1 is a special beast.”
That “beast” is something he’s been preparing for most of his life.
“I’ve been racing since I was four years old,” he said. “That experience helps.”
Off the track, though, the challenges look different.
“Hanging out with big guys — sponsors — you have to force yourself to step out, [to] grow,” he said.
Events like the Pen to the Pitlane [highlight that growth in real time, where drivers are expected to represent not just themselves and their personal brand, but the teams and sponsorship partners that come with the sport.
With the Miami Grand Prix approaching, moments like these — on a college campus, in front of a room full of students — offer a glimpse into the personalities behind the scenes and under the helmets.
Tsunoda, for his part, didn’t try to be anything other than himself.
That means answering honestly. Reacting in real time. And, occasionally, swearing before catching it a second too late.
He’ll have to keep that in check once the cameras — and the stakes — turn fully back to the track this weekend.
But for a morning at Watsco Center, just days before one of Formula 1’s biggest American races, Tsunoda reminded everyone that even in a sport built on precision, a little unpredictability goes a long way.