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Tsunoda feels more comfortable in F1: 'I'm much more confident now'

Tsunoda feels more comfortable in F1: 'I'm much more confident now'

01-12-2022 12:05 Last update: 13:09

GPblog.com

Yuki Tsunoda felt a lot more comfortable in Formula 1 in 2022 than during his first season in the sport. In conversation with Formula1.com the AlphaTauri driver explains how his new approach has improved his own mental state.

Although  the year went significantly worse for AlphaTauri as a team in 2022 than in 2021, Tsunoda feels it was a better season for him. He made fewer mistakes this season than in his first year and also had significantly fewer angry outbursts over the radio. When asked in which areas Tsunoda himself feels he has improved, he therefore has a clear answer ready: "The physical side, mentality side and driving side."

'I am more relaxed now'

"Overall, I am pretty happy," Tsunoda further explained. "Now I’m feeling relaxed in the race week, especially Thursday, Friday, which I didn’t know how to approach and I was stressing consistently. That makes it a little bit kind of frustrating, and made it a little bit difficult by myself. Now  I can kind of be relaxing and I know how to adapt to any situation. As a result, I feel much more confident."

With the winter break ahead of him, Tsunoda says he will work even more on his own mental state in order to continue this positive line in 2023. Next season, Tsunoda will find a new teammate in Nyck de Vries after driving alongside Pierre Gasly for the past two years.