Yuki Suzumiya

Nagoya, Japan

**Yuki Suzumiya** (born 12 January 1992) is a Japanese racing driver currently competing in the 2025 WMA Formula Volt Championship with Carlson Econnect Racing. Noted as one of the greatest female racing drivers of her generation, Suzumiya is the only female driver to have won a race in the International Formula Series.

## **Early life and career**

Yuki Suzumiya was born on the 12th of January 1992 in Nagoya, Japan. Growing up, her father Kazuo, who worked as a sports journalist, was an avid motorsports fan and would take her daughter Yuki to the nearby Suzuka Circuit to watch International Formula Series races. Yuki quickly became obsessed over motorsports. Her parents bought her a kart and she'd immediately impress in local and regional karting championships, beating drivers way over her age.

She'd become the first female champion of the Japanese Karting Championship's Senior class, and in 2011 she would debut in formula cars in the Formula Azusa Japan series and would blow away the competition, winning five out of ten races and crowning herself as champion.

## Racing career

### Formula C Asia

In 2012, Suzumiya would advance to Formula C Asia with Tigersport Racing. She took three podiums, one win and a pole position in her debut season of Formula C, and finished 5th in what was a highly competitive season, featuring the likes of Naoto Sugawara, Teddy Chen and Murali Pasavan. She also debuted in the Macau Grand Prix and the Formula C Cup of Nations for the first time, which are annual Formula C events. She DNFed from the Cup of Nations, but she'd go on to secure pole position at Macau, an incredible feat for a rookie. She wouldn't convert it into a win but still come home to finish a brilliant fourth on debut.

Seeing her potential, the Tsukuda Junior Team would sign Suzumiya as she headed into her second season of Formula C Asia in 2013. She'd go on to beat out Murali Pasavan for the title, taking four wins and six podiums along the way to take the Formula C Asia title with a win at the last round in Suzuka. Suzumiya would contest the Macau Grand Prix, Formula C Cup of Nations and the Formula Euro Winter Series over in Europe. She would go on to win the Macau Grand Prix from seventh on the grid; win the Formula C Cup of Nations with her teammate Naoto Sugawara in second, and finish third in the Formula Euro Winter Series.

### International Formula Juniors

Suzumiya moved over to Europe in 2014 to compete in International Formula Juniors with Forstner Racing. Suzumiya immediately contend for the title from the start, winning the opening round of the season at Yas Marina. She'd follow it up with two more podiums in the next two races, but suffered a mid-season slump, and a controversial bit of defending on title rival Mattias Lindström during the feature race at Spa-Francorchamps, Suzumiya was awarded a 5 second penalty, handing the race win to Lindström. Suzumiya would eventually come out on top, clinching the title at the feature race in the final round at Suzuka.

### International Formula Series

Suzumiya, who had been the official test and reserve driver for Tsukuda in IFS since 2013 made her official free practice debut at the 2013 Japanese Grand Prix, replacing Lucas Costa for FP1, becoming the first female driver in the International Formula Series since Arzum Yavuz in 2006.

Suzumiya was officially announced to partner world champion Kenji Ikeda following her IFJ title in 2015, replacing the outgoing Lucas Costa. I have to write more on this but it is currently 01:38 and I have school tomorrow why am i continuing to write on this like a dumbass i need to sleep lol

## Personal life

Suzumiya today resides in Monte Carlo, Monaco but also has a house in her hometown of Nagoya which she visits over the winter break. Her idols growing up were Kenji Ikeda and Christian Strömqvist, the latter she liked due to his aggressive driving style, which according to Suzumiya played an "important role" in her success.

Suzumiya has also been a voice for encouraging women in motorsports. She co-founded a programme with fellow female racing driver Petra Meijer to promote young female racing talents to have the same opportunities as men in motorsports. Suzumiya, growing up never discouraged herself to not push forwards due to her gender. In her own words in an interview with Zoom Japan in 2021; "My goal was never to become the best female racing driver. It was to become the best racing driver, simple as that".