Yuki Tsunoda: “It’s good to have more attention, not just from Red Bull.”
After a solid start to the season marked by two 10th place finishes, Yuki Tsunoda is finally showing real progress since his arrival in Formula 1. Today, he is trying not to think too much about his future but still realizes what could lie ahead for him in the coming years.
With 2 points, he is the only AlphaTauri driver to have entered the top 10 this season. Ahead of his struggling teammate Nyck de Vries, Yuki Tsunoda is showing all his potential in this early 2023. And after two mediocre seasons, the timing is perfect for the Japanese driver. Behind the wheel of the AlphaTauri, he is gaining maturity both on the track and off. The end of this season could play a major role in his future.
Focus on himself
Yuki Tsunoda refuses to dream. He is aware of the opportunities that could arise for him, but remains realistic. When asked about Red Bull, this is what he replies: “I think Checo has a contract for next year and Red Bull is happy with him.”
The Japanese driver wants to continue improving and gaining experience at AlphaTauri before allowing himself to dream bigger. For now, I have to focus on myself and show my worth. I believe time will tell anyway. I think it’s good to stay at AlphaTauri for now and showcase my performances to all the teams, he said.
Tsunoda aspires to be able to decide his own future
For every driver, being able to decide their future in Formula 1 is a luxury. Only a few have this possibility on the grid, notably the world champions, but Tsunoda does not rule out thinking about it. « It’s good to have more attention, not just from Red Bull. I still can’t choose the team I want to go to or what I want to do in Formula 1, I think Red Bull will still choose, so I want to reach a point as a driver where I can choose » said the Japanese.
However, if he could make this choice, he would turn to a high-performing team. After all, it is every driver’s dream to be behind the wheel of a car capable of performing and winning. Tsunoda stated, “It is obvious that I want to go to a team that I know, based on the last few years, has always been highly performing.”
For now, the AlphaTauri driver is happy with his position and appreciates the remarks from the other teams. But anyway, it’s good to have a lot of attention because it shows that I have a lot of value, and I think as drivers, we are happy about this kind of thing.
Long-term: a seat at Aston Martin?
2026 seems very far away, and yet, the arrival of Honda at Aston Martin on this date could offer opportunities. Honda could appreciate having a Japanese driver at Aston Martin, and the president of Honda Racing Corporation, Koji Watanabe, doesn’t disagree. Yuki Tsunoda could be on their radar: “He comes from our school and he’s doing very well. We are very happy to see him succeed,” Watanabe said.
However, it’s still too early to speculate. But we still have three years ahead of us, so it’s too soon to say what will happen. I don’t think it’s the right time to talk about it. But we hope he will become a candidate, said the president of the Honda Racing Corporation.
To aim higher in Formula 1 and decide his future, Yuki Tsunoda will have to become a consistent and high-performing driver. He must already start thinking about his future and showcase his full potential as early as this 2023 season.
