Yuki Tsunoda is aiming for a podium finish at his home Japanese Grand Prix this weekend after an "unreal" promotion to the Red Bull team in place of the axed Liam Lawson.
Tsunoda will race alongside four-time world champion Max Verstappen after Red Bull put an end to the nascent career of the underperforming Lawson last week, just two races into the season.
Tsunoda said it felt "unreal" to be driving for one of the top teams on the grid and set his sights on making an impact in front of the Japanese fans at Suzuka.
"I don't want to raise expectations too much but I want to finish on the podium at this Japanese Grand Prix," the 24-year-old said in Tokyo.
Tsunoda moved up from Red Bull's junior team Racing Bulls (RB), with Lawson moving back down to RB, where he was last season.
Tsunoda said he did not expect to be racing in Japan after being passed over for Lawson when Mexico's Sergio Perez left Red Bull at the end of last season.
"It has all fallen into place and now I'm standing here, and that's thanks to the support of everyone," said Tsunoda.
Tsunoda has never finished on the podium in four full seasons in F1 but he has shown pace on both race weekends this year.
He was 12th in the season opener at Melbourne and only finished out of the points at Shanghai because of RB's flawed two-stop pit strategy.
"The thing that I'm looking forward to most is that there couldn't be a more pressurised, challenging situation than this," he said.
"It's also my debut, so with all these things added up I think it's going to be an unbelievably exciting race."
Earlier, Lawson posted an emotional message on social media in the wake of his demotion from the team.
Red Bull's decision to promote Tsunoda from its Racing Bulls team to partner with Verstappen comes after Lawson struggled during both the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix.
"Being a (Red Bull Racing) driver has been my dream since I was a kid, it's what I've worked towards my whole life," Lawson wrote on Instagram, along with photos from his school days.
"It's tough, but I'm grateful for everything that's brought me to this point.
"To every one of you who's stood by me, thank you for all the support, it means the world."

Lawson, 23, was selected in December by Red Bull team principal and CEO Christian Horner to replace Perez, who reached an agreement to part ways with the club after four years. Tsunoda was among those who also was in consideration for the seat, as was Isack Hadjar.
However, the team ultimately decided to go with Lawson, who had been on the Red Bull junior team since 2019 and took over Daniel Ricciardo's seat during last season.
Meanwhile, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko said Lawson's damaged self-confidence was the reason he was axed after just two races.
Marko, 81, admitted the Red Bull car is "difficult to drive" but says Lawson's confidence was beyond repair.
"His performance was unfortunately not good enough and that comes from self-confidence," Marko told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast.
"We were worried that his self-confidence is so damaged that he could not bring his normal performance. We have to have two drivers for the constructors championship and also to support Max.
"Yuki has until the end of the season because we believe he can do the job."
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
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About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
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Specs
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Tomorrow 2021
Tomorrow 2021
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
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Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
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How to avoid crypto fraud
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Neymar's bio
Total club appearances 411
Total goals scored 241
Appearances for Barca 186
Goals scored for Barca 105
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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THE SPECS
Jaguar F-Pace SVR
Engine: 5-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 680Nm
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
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The specs
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FIGHT CARD
From 5.30pm in the following order:
Featherweight
Marcelo Pontes (BRA) v Azouz Anwar (EGY)
Catchweight 90kg
Moustafa Rashid Nada (KSA) v Imad Al Howayeck (LEB)
Welterweight
Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR) v Gimbat Ismailov (RUS)
Flyweight (women)
Lucie Bertaud (FRA) v Kelig Pinson (BEL)
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (BEL) v Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)
Catchweight 100kg
Mohamed Ali (EGY) v Marc Vleiger (NED)
Featherweight
James Bishop (AUS) v Mark Valerio (PHI)
Welterweight
Gerson Carvalho (BRA) v Abdelghani Saber (EGY)
Middleweight
Bakhtiyar Abbasov (AZE) v Igor Litoshik (BLR)
Bantamweight:
Fabio Mello (BRA) v Mark Alcoba (PHI)
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Magomedsultan Magemedsultanov (RUS)
Bantamweight
Trent Girdham (AUS) v Jayson Margallo (PHI)
Lightweight
Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) v Roman Golovinov (UKR)
Middleweight
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Steve Kennedy (AUS)
Lightweight
Dan Moret (USA) v Anton Kuivanen (FIN)
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