Yuki Tsunoda, which is overlooked by many observers, is leading the team-internal duel at AlphaTauri with 11:6 points against Pierre Gasly after seven of 22 race weekends of the 2022 Formula 1 season. And in the qualifying duel, the 22-year-old Japanese is at least not in a lost position with a fairly balanced 3:4.
“My performances are definitely better than last year and more consistent,” said Tsunoda. “If I had been in the form I am now last year, completely different results would have been possible. But this experience, that things didn’t always go smoothly, only makes me stronger. I’m very satisfied at the moment.”
An assessment that he by no means represents exclusively. The bosses at AlphaTauri in Faenza and at Red Bull in Graz also noticed that Tsunoda has improved significantly. In an interview with “Formel1.de”, Helmut Marko made a clear statement about the AlphaTauri drivers in 2023: “It can be assumed that the current drivers are set.”
No chance for juniors in Formula 2
That means: Gasly, who has a contract until the end of 2023, should be kept. Tsunoda’s contract renewed. And the promising Red Bull juniors Jehan Daruvala (currently 3rd in Formula 2), Jüri Vips (5th) and Liam Lawson (8th) “all have to wait another year”. Because Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez are already fixed in the Red Bull A-Team.
To outsiders, a Tsunoda move to Red Bull Racing for the 2023 season was never a serious issue. But Tsunoda had speculated: “Of course it doesn’t make me happy that ‘Checo”s contract was extended. When two teams work as closely together as Red Bull and AlphaTauri, then as a driver you obviously hope for such a cockpit.”
Tsunoda feels comfortable with AlphaTauri
But: “I’m very happy at AlphaTauri, I get along well with the people here. We work great together. I’m getting better and better at communicating with the team and they’re very friendly to me. We’re all pulling together and continue to develop the car. In that sense, I haven’t really thought about Red Bull.”
Tsunoda does not worry that one of the Red Bull juniors could contest his place at AlphaTauri in 2023: “To be honest, I don’t think there’s a lot of pressure from there. I think I’ve performed very well , when I compare myself to some Formula 2 drivers in the current field,” he says confidently.
The fact that Tsunoda sometimes comes across as almost arrogant may also be due to the language barrier. Basically, he knows exactly the work order that Marko gave him to keep his cockpit: “I haven’t heard much about 2023. So I’m concentrating on what needs to be done, namely points as often as possible to fetch.”