Yuki Tsunoda is thrilled with his qualifying performance in front of his home crowd
Tenth in qualifying, the Racing Bulls driver has high ambitions for the race in front of Japanese fans who have come in large numbers to support him at Suzuka.
For the third consecutive time, Yuki Tsunoda has managed to reach Q3 in a qualifying session. The 23-year-old driver, who finished 7th in the Australian Grand Prix, is comfortable in the VCARB 01 and is establishing himself as a strong contender for points early in the season.
The Japanese, pushed by his supporters in the stands of Suzuka, admitted to feeling pressure at the start of the weekend.
« After my strong performance in Australia, I felt a little pressure coming here. But I would say it’s good pressure and I’m happy to have reached Q3 in front of my family, my friends, and this home crowd. Qualifying wasn’t as easy as expected but overall, we did a fantastic job as a team.
Grateful to his team, Tsunoda wanted to pay tribute to all those who work with him to improve his performances.
« I keep learning how to maximize the car and its settings to get the best out of it, and without everyone, the engineers, and the mechanics, on the track or at the factory, I would not have achieved this result. I really appreciate all of them very much.
Qualifying one position ahead of his teammate Daniel Ricciardo, the native of Sagamihara is counting on teamwork to maybe score points with both cars during the race.
« Daniel also did a great job, which means that we definitely have the potential to score points, maybe more than one, so we will do our best. The first step is done, and the second is the Top 10 during the race, something I have never achieved here, so it’s up to us to put everything together and try to have the perfect race.
With 6 points, Tsunoda is currently 11th in the championship after three races and Racing Bulls is 6th ahead of Haas, Williams, Sauber, and Alpine.
