Yuki Tsunoda will have to “score a lot more points this season”
With the departure of Frenchman Pierre Gasly from Alpine, Yuki Tsunoda knows that he will have to raise his game and take on the role of team leader at AlphaTauri in 2023. His team principal, Franz Tost, is already putting pressure on him.
After two initial seasons where Tsunoda struggled to meet expectations, he enters his third season in F1 with AlphaTauri. Last year was even more challenging, with the poor-performing AT03 combined with driving errors, the 22-year-old driver finished in a distant 17th place in the drivers’ standings, collecting only 12 points throughout the season.
Franz Tost, director of AlphaTauri, has always supported his young Japanese driver. For this season, he reiterates his support even though Tsunoda will have to meet the team’s expectations in 2023. AlphaTauri has a habit of supporting a driver for a minimum of 3 years. Therefore, this is Yuki Tsunoda’s last year to prove himself.
Last year, Yuki struggled with the car,” Tost said. “This year, as I expect us to have a competitive car, Yuki must always aim to be in Q3 and finish the races in the points.”
« He is a very talented driver and now has a lot of experience thanks to his two seasons in F1. That’s why he should score a lot more points than last year. »
During the launch of the AT04 in New York, Yuki Tsunoda, on his side, believes that he has improved as a driver and is ready to make the most of his car in 2023.
“I am at a completely different level now, even though I have kept the good aspects of my first year. But now, I am definitely more in control, more involved with the team when it comes to the development of the car,” says Tsunoda.
I act differently as well because I have learned a lot, not only about racing, but also in my life off the track. Even this has a positive effect on my running. I had underestimated what was involved, but now I understand the things that truly matter.
My main objective is to be more efficient in every race, regardless of the car’s performance, and to score points more consistently.
I want to be more in control of myself at all times, work well with the team, understand the car as quickly as possible, starting from the first race in Bahrain. I want this year to be my best performance of the three years in terms of reaching Q3 and scoring points.
