Tost: Tsunoda can bring "extraordinary" strengths to AlphaTauri in F1
Franz Tost is confident Yuki Tsunoda can bring his "extraordinary" strengths to AlphaTauri despite facing a steep learning curve through his debut Formula 1 season
Tsunoda will embark on his rookie F1 campaign in 2021 after graduating from Formula 2, where he finished third in the championship last year.
The Japanese youngster is set to become the first driver born in the 2000s to race in F1, but faces limited opportunities to get up to speed before the opening race in Bahrain next month.
Teams have just three days of pre-season testing in 2021, with most set to split that evenly between its drivers. Tsunoda has managed to complete some private running in some of AlphaTauri's older cars to compensate for this.
PLUS: How AlphaTauri has adapted to F1's new rules
Speaking following the launch of AlphaTauri's new AT02 car ahead of the 2021 season, team principal Tost said that while Tsunoda would face the regular challenges rookies encounter in F1, his skills would still shine through.
"We expect his learning curve to be quite steep, so he should be able to achieve a good performance quite quickly," Tost said.
"Of course, he will have some crashes. That's part of the development programme.
"But what is very extraordinary on his side is the car control, his strength on the braking and his speed in fast corners.
"If he continues his learning process, like he did at the tests in Imola and Abu Dhabi last year, I'm sure we will see some fantastic races."
Tsunoda conducted test runs in the 2018-spec Toro Rosso at Imola last year before driving the 2020 car in the post-season Abu Dhabi test. He has also conducted running in the 2019 Toro Rosso at Imola and Misano this year.
PLUS: The meteoric rise of F1's first 21st century-born racer
While expressing his faith in Tsunoda, Tost explained how team-mate Pierre Gasly could help the Japanese youngster's development this year and bring out the best in him.
"Pierre is a very high skilled driver and he now also has the necessary experience to be a leader in the team and for Yuki," Tost said.
"Every driver compares themselves with their team-mate so the better the latter is, the more you are pushed to improve yourself.
"Yuki can learn a lot from Pierre in all aspects, for example comparing the lap times, the set-up of the car, the driving lines. This is all very important, especially on those tracks that are new to Yuki.
"If you have a strong and experienced team-mate you can compare many different parameters, which help to improve your own performance."
Eight things Red Bull must do to beat Mercedes in 2021
How AlphaTauri has adapted to F1's new rules
Laser Tools Racing continues in BTCC with Hill
The Laser Tools Racing name that was carried to British Touring Car Championship titles in 2020 and 2021 will continue in the series after all with Jake Hill.
McLaren to share F1 reserve driver Schumacher with Mercedes
Mercedes Formula 1 reserve driver Mick Schumacher will be also made available as a stand-in to McLaren, the Woking team has announced.
NASCAR Next Gen car gets safety upgrades for 2023 season
NASCAR unveiled some changes to the Next Gen car for the 2023 season, with most enhancing its safety aspects.
O’Ward optimistic about Rossi and that McLaren IndyCar DNFs can be reduced
Arrow McLaren ace Pato O’Ward says he’s confident that Alexander Rossi will be a strong addition to the line-up and that the team has gotten on top of its mechanical woes.
The Mercedes F1 pressure changes under 10 years of Toto Wolff
OPINION: Although the central building blocks for Mercedes’ recent, long-lasting Formula 1 success were installed before he joined the team, Toto Wolff has been instrumental in ensuring it maximised its finally-realised potential after years of underachievement. The 10-year anniversary of Wolff joining Mercedes marks the perfect time to assess his work
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
How do the best races of F1 2022 stack up to 2021?
OPINION: A system to score all the grands prix from the past two seasons produces some interesting results and sets a standard that 2023 should surely exceed
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
The potential-laden F1 car that Ferrari neglected
The late Mauro Forghieri played a key role in Ferrari’s mid-1960s turnaround, says STUART CODLING, and his pretty, intricate 1512 was among the most evocative cars of the 1.5-litre era. But a victim of priorities as Formula 1 was deemed less lucrative than success in sportscars, its true potential was never seen in period
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.