Method 1 is again in the US this weekend, for the second installment of the Miami Grand Prix.
For AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda, that may very well be an excellent factor.
Tsunoda has been one of many surprises of this season — extra on that in a second — and returns to Miami Worldwide Autodrome, one of many 5 tracks the place he superior to Q3 throughout the 2022 marketing campaign. That, coupled along with his expertise in final yr’s inaugural Miami Grand Prix, has Tsunoda trying ahead to the weekend.
“I made it to Q3 in Miami final yr and I appreciated the observe. The environment there may be undoubtedly particular, and the American followers are very enthusiastic. My recollections of that week are that it is extremely sizzling and the humidity was fairly excessive, which made the race fairly demanding bodily,” mentioned Tsunoda within the workforce’s preview of Miami for the media. “Final yr, I hadn’t anticipated that, however I will likely be ready this time. I did plenty of Miami work within the simulator and it has some sections just like Baku, so I hope we could be on the tempo and hold making progress with the automobile.”
A season in the past, Tsunoda certified in P9 for Miami, however struggled with race tempo and ended up in P12, out of the factors. “I’m actually upset with at this time. On the primary lap I struggled with tempo and was overtaken by a couple of automobiles, then I wasn’t capable of get well from there for the remainder of the race,” mentioned Tsunoda after the 2022 Miami Grand Prix. “We have been proud of the way in which that we’d constructed up our confidence within the automobile from FP1, so it’s irritating to have carried out so poorly at this time.”
Tsunoda is coming off back-to-back factors finishes. After starting the yr with a pair of P11 finishes in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, he received into the factors down in Melbourne within the Australian Grand Prix, coming throughout the road tenth.
Then final week in Azerbaijan, Tsunoda put collectively a really affected person race to once more end tenth. He was working exterior the factors, however with Esteban Ocon and Nico Hülkenberg forward of him — and each drivers needing to pit — Tsunoda remained affected person, letting the race come to him.
Ultimately each the Haas and the Alpine drivers got here into the pits, and Tsunoda adopted Lando Norris into the factors.
Tsunoda mirrored on his efficiency in Baku in AlphaTauri’s media preview. “It was a little bit of an untidy time in Baku, however I’ve come to Miami with a really constructive mindset as there have been many indicators that we’re making actual progress with the automobile and the updates that got here out of Bicester, particularly these aimed toward enhancing our prime pace, actually appeared to work,” mentioned Tsunoda. “The highpoint in Azerbaijan was qualifying eighth, so scoring a degree for tenth was good, however I’d hoped for higher. Additionally, I used to be happy with my very own efficiency by way of how I used to be driving and the way I dealt with the varied conditions of the very busy Dash weekend format.”
His efficiency this season has actually caught the eye of many across the F1 world. AlphaTauri Crew Principal Franz Tost predicted forward of the Australian Grand Prix that Tsunoda can be prepared for a seat with Pink Bull, AlphaTauri’s sister workforce, come 2025: “However I believe he ought to drive at AlphaTauri once more in 2024. In 2025, I believe he’ll lastly be prepared for Pink Bull.”
And the outcomes this season again that up. On this research of the F1 season, you possibly can see Tsunoda’s consistency when in comparison with the remainder of the sphere, on this good research of finishes from this season:
That consistency has additionally caught the eye of the person who may very well be his boss down the street, Pink Bull Crew Principal Christian Horner. “I don’t assume he’s at our stage, but, however he’s making nice progress,” mentioned Horner this week. “We’re seeing he’s maturing as a driver. He actually has the pace and I believe as he positive factors expertise, I’m positive he’s going to develop into extra rounded. He’s pushed some sturdy races thus far this yr.”
One other sturdy race this week down in Miami might get Tsunoda nearer to that purpose.
