Tsunoda remains cool, discussing his rapport with teammates Gasly and Ricciardo, despite swirling rumours.
During his time at AlphaTauri-RB F1, Yuki Tsunoda has partnered with both Pierre Gasly and Daniel Ricciardo. The former has recently extended his tenure at Alpine F1, while the latter may be vying for a seat at Red Bull—naturally, in direct competition with Tsunoda.
In this year’s head-to-head with Daniel Ricciardo, the Japanese driver is currently leading. Notably, he also appears increasingly mature and composed behind the wheel, precisely what Helmut Marko has been seeking from him year after year.
And Yuki Tsunoda affirms: he is not the same man; he has simply matured over time.
“My first year in Formula 1 and the position I hold today give me a different perspective and vision. I also feel like a different person,” Tsunoda reflects.
Tsunoda has also observed the evolution of Pierre Gasly and Daniel Ricciardo during their time with RB F1. In what ways? What has he learned from them?
“It’s hard to say, but I think they share some commonalities. They both have their own experience and they strive to forge relationships with the teams,” he explains.
“They are both very skilled at communicating with the engineers, providing valuable feedback. They help the team determine the direction for development.”
Recalling the ‘bromance’ between Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda, the Japanese driver confirms: the rapport between them was excellent!
“Having Pierre as my first teammate for the first two years was fortunate. If I had difficulties on the track or… I wouldn’t say mentally, but sometimes when I’m in a bad mood or otherwise, he has always been a good teammate. We had a purely friendly relationship, and he was a great support.”
Is the relationship with Daniel Ricciardo somewhat cooler?
“With Daniel, he is actually a good benchmark at the moment, because I think Daniel is the strongest in the areas of technical feedback, which I’m trying to improve,” Tsunoda remarks.
“His strengths align with what I’m currently striving to achieve, including the mental aspect, and he’s the person who can handle it.”
“Pierre and Daniel have been good teammates whenever I’ve been with them.”
Yuki Tsunoda must also cultivate his working relationship with Laurent Mekies, the team director, and Peter Bayer, the CEO. How is that going?
“Laurent is definitely on the engineering side; we share more knowledge in this area and he obviously deals directly with each person, each engineer working in the team.”
“I see similarities between Franz [Tost] and Laurent. Both care about the people working within the team. We can be in very constant contact about how we are going to do everything for the next session. So, he has definitely helped us gain from his experience.”
“Peter focuses primarily on structuring the team to make it very strong. In Formula 1, we need sponsors and since he joined the team, he has been very adept in this area, in sponsor relations. To establish a solid base to enhance performance, both on the sponsor side and performance side.”
“I would say they work very well together. I think Franz was doing both of their jobs at once, which was very challenging for him, and it’s a good thing that Laurent and Peter can now focus on their respective roles.”
With this new team structure, RB F1 aims to grow and no longer be just a junior team to Red Bull. Aiming for fifth place in the constructors’ standings remains a medium-term goal. However, at present, Aston Martin F1 and even Haas seem to have gained an edge in outright performance.
“Obviously, a good car is essential. Last year, I remember around this time it was very difficult for us, for me, to reach Q2, but now I think reaching Q2 is the minimum, and Q3 is achievable most of the time.”
“It’s a very tight midfield, which adds extra motivation and excitement, because you know if you give it your all, you can gain two or three positions.”
“But at the same time, there’s more pressure because if you deliver a disappointing lap, you could find yourself in a worse position or lower than you aimed for.”
Is Yuki Tsunoda unsettled by rumours?
Yuki Tsunoda was inevitably questioned about his personal situation: wouldn’t he be quite disappointed to stay at RB F1 next year? Especially if Sergio Pérez is on shaky ground? Do the rumours not destabilize him?
“You just have to focus on what I can do in terms of performance. I think if your performances are good, or if you drive well, those things will naturally follow, so I don’t really feel any pressure or anything like that.”
“Before my future was settled for next year, I was really focused on my performance and even now, I try to focus on what I can control—rather than on things I can’t control and thinking too much about them.”
In addition to racing for Red Bull, Yuki Tsunoda harbors another dream: to become the first Japanese driver to win a Grand Prix…
“Obviously, I’d like to achieve it one day but, for now, I’m not really thinking about being the first Japanese to win a Grand Prix or anything like that.”
“Such things will come naturally, I would say. So I’m focusing on performance. I’m trying to continue improving and obviously, one day, if I can win, it would certainly have a significant impact for Japan.”
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