Forward of his third season in F1, Franz Tost has warned Yuki Tsunoda that he should elevate his sport if he’s to retain his seat at AlphaTauri.
The Faenza group, like its ‘huge sister’ has a infamous fame for its lack of persistence, because the likes of Scott Pace, Brendon Hartley and plenty of extra will readily attest.
Subsequently, Tsunoda would do effectively to heed Tost’s warning forward of his third season within the sport.
Scoring factors (ninth) in his maiden race set an impossibly excessive benchmark for the teen, who got here into F1 with a fame as a talented, quick driver.
Although he scored some good leads to his maiden season, the group was involved at his lack of dedication and failure to coach and because of this had him transfer to Italy to be nearer to the manufacturing unit and thereby below the watchful eye of his group boss.
The shortcomings of the AT03 had been at all times going to make issues troublesome for the teen in his second season, however his lack of consistency, the accidents and his ‘excitable’ nature did not assist.
Now, Tost has set out a transparent warning.
“He’s a really highly-skilled driver,” says the Austrian, “and now has a number of expertise with two seasons in F1. Because of this after all he has to attain many extra factors.
“Final 12 months Yuki struggled with the automobile,” he admits. “This 12 months, as I count on we may have fairly a aggressive automobile, Yuki should at all times purpose to be in Q3 and end the races within the factors.”
Scoring 12 factors to teammate Pierre Gasly’s 23, Tsunoda solely made it to Q3 on 5 events whereas his teammate made it 6 occasions.
Decided to not fail, Tsunoda is to group up with Daniel Ricciardo’s former coach, Michael Italiano and to this finish has already spent a few weeks coaching with him in Dubai.
“I used to be there for 2 weeks, engaged on my normal health and the time was additionally essential to get to know my new coach, who used to work with Ricciardo,” mentioned Tsunoda. “One of many predominant targets of the camp was to construct our relationship in order that we perceive each other earlier than testing and racing begins. That went effectively and so did the precise coaching, the place we targeted primarily on the endurance aspect.”
The transfer to Italy additionally allowed Tsunoda to spend extra time on the group’s manufacturing unit, the place he was capable of get extra concerned together with his engineers.
“I’ve saved the great features of my first 12 months, however now I’m undoubtedly extra in management, extra concerned with the group in relation to the event of the automobile,” says the teen.
“I additionally act otherwise,” he continues, “having discovered a number of issues, not simply in relation to racing but in addition in my life away from the monitor. Even that has a constructive impact in how I race.
“I had underestimated what was concerned,” he admits. “However now I’ve found out the issues which can be actually essential.
“My predominant aim is to carry out extra constantly in each race, independently from the automobile’s efficiency, and to attain factors extra constantly. I need to be extra in command of myself always, work effectively with the group, perceive the automobile as shortly as potential, proper from the primary race in Bahrain.
“I need this 12 months to be my greatest efficiency of the three years by way of attending to Q3 and scoring factors.”
After all, including to the stress is the truth that following the departure of Gasly, Tsunoda is the de facto group chief as he’s joined by rookie Nyck de Vries.
“Nyck was additionally coaching in Dubai so we acquired the chance to spend somewhat little bit of time collectively,” he says. “We knew one another earlier than then from previous years. We have already got a great relationship, and we are going to construct extra on that now as teammates this season.
“I believe collectively we make a robust pairing, with the purpose of serving to the group progress this 12 months. I additionally consider I can be taught issues from Nyck.”
Take a look at our livery reveal gallery, right here.
