Tsunoda knows he is under ‘more pressure to perform’

Yuki Tsunoda acknowledged there is more pressure on his shoulders in 2022, but feels that is only serving to motivate him for the challenge ahead.

The Japanese driver was roundly out-performed by team-mate Pierre Gasly during his rookie season, to an extent wherehe admitted his surpriseat being retained for a second year at Red Bull’s junior team.

He hadn’t driven many of the circuits on the Formula 1 calendar in junior series, meaning there was an added workload for him to learn the tracks as well as navigate the challenges of any first-year driver.

Having now put a year’s experience on his CV in a Formula 1 car, the AlphaTauri driver said he knows where he needs to add to his skillset to perform well in 2022.

“I’m really looking forward to racing again,” Tsunoda said in a Q&A with AlphaTauri after the car’s launch.

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“I feel I have a much better understanding of what I have to do than I did a year ago, I know how to prepare in order to perform well.

“I know what my weak points are, I have all of my experience from last year to build on and I have been working hard to be ready.

“Last year, if anything unexpected or unusual happened, I could not adapt quick enough to deal with the situation, which is why I struggled in a lot of races.

“I ended last year well, with a fourth place in Abu Dhabi, so I want to carry that momentum into this new season.

“I feel more pressure to perform now than I did last year, but it’s a good pressure, which is motivation for me when I’m training.”

AlphaTauri launched the AT03on Monday morning as they gear up for their 2022 campaign, albeit through a concept car with their new livery, instead of their ‘real’ one for the time being.

While Tsunoda finished the 2021 season in a better place than he had started, he knows there is still work to do for him to get to a higher level – and he has been working hard to do so.

“I want to improve my pace and the consistency in the way I drive. I know what I have to do to achieve that,” he stated.

“如果我可以工作在最后三个或三个four races of last year, that will be a good way to start. It won’t be easy, but I am confident that I can achieve that.”