Tsunoda works hard on himself: 'Biggest difference is definitely physical'

Despite the mixed results Tsunoda has shown in 2022, AlphaTauri is not ready to give up on the Japanese driver. Red Bull Racing has invested a lot in the Honda protégé, who has made a lot of progress especially mentally. This is also reflected in his physical condition, Tsunoda told the Tauri Talk-podcast.

Tsunoda is making strides

After a shaky F1 debut in 2021, intervention was made by Helmut Marko, who arranged for Tsunoda to live near the AlphaTauri factory. A strict schedule was then drawn up for the driver, which included fitness, English lessons and spending a lot of time with his team. Since then, he has made great strides in those areas, but the Japanese is not lacking in any self-criticism.

"Definitely the biggest difference is physical, I'd say. For driving I will say just a tiny bit, to be honest," the AlphaTauri driver admits. "Around the driving for example how I should approach the mentality side definitely, got increased those parts and more in control and I feel more relaxed in the race week. I know how to handle most of the situations." The fact that he now has almost two years of experience in F1 certainly helps. "In those parts it’s definitely had a bit more advantage compared to last year, into the race weeks," Tsunoda concludes.