Ayumu Iwasa’s career trajectory has been nothing short of impressive. The Japanese racer has quickly become one of Red Bull’s most promising junior drivers, with his recent confirmation to compete in Formula 2 in 2023 with DAMS.
Iwasa was first signed by Red Bull in early 2021 after winning the French Formula 4 championship. Before that, he had some experience in part-time single-seater racing in 2017 and 2018. However, it was his victory in the Suzuka Racing School’s single-seater series in 2019, his first full season, that caught the attention of Honda, who later backed him.
In 2021, Iwasa made the step up to Formula 3 with Hitech and finished a respectable 12th overall in the championship. Despite not finishing on the podium, he showed flashes of brilliance, including a fourth-place finish at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. He did enough to secure a promotion to Formula 2 in 2022, where he continued to impress. He finished the season fifth overall, with one victory in the feature race in France.
Iwasa’s performances have not gone unnoticed by Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, Dr. Helmut Marko, who has high hopes for the young driver. Marko has even compared Iwasa to four-time Formula 1 world champion, Alain Prost, referring to him as Red Bull’s “little Prost”. With such high praise and impressive performances, Iwasa is definitely a young driver to keep an eye on in the coming years.
Number 3. Enzo Fittipaldi
