This weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola is all set to kickstart the European leg of races. Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda has referred to this GP as his “second home race” despite being born 6,011 miles away.
As quoted by Junaid, the V-CARB driver said, “Imola up next! I’m very excited and it’s one of the tracks I drove quite a lot in the past. It’s another home race, my second home race. Unfortunately, we couldn’t race there last year because of the flooding, so I’m very excited to race here“.
Yuki Tsunoda: Imola up next! I’m very excited and it’s one of the tracks I drove quite a lot in the past. It’s another home race, my second home race. Unfortunately, we couldn’t race there last year because of the flooding, so I’m very excited to race here and see…. pic.twitter.com/a27bmeOxRP
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) May 15, 2024
Tsunoda referred to Imola as his “second home race” as he drives for V-CARB, who have their headquarters in Faenza, Italy. The team’s headquarters are approximately just 10 miles away from the race track.
With Tsunoda all set to compete in V-CARB’s home race, he will hope to deliver for the team. The Japanese driver believes the Imola track is similar to Japan’s Suzuka as both have several medium and high-speed corners, which could benefit his driving style.
The last time F1 took place in Imola was in 2022 (the 2023 race was canceled due to excessive flooding). On that occasion, Tsunoda drove an outstanding race as he finished seventh. Moreover, with Tsunoda having had a strong start to the 2024 campaign as well, he will hope to impress once again in front of the team’s home fans.
Red Bull are considering promoting Yuki Tsunoda
Soon after Daniel Ricciardo joined him at AlphaTauri (now V-CARB) last year, Yuki Tsunoda made his intentions clear of wanting to get the promotion to Red Bull. At the time, Tsunoda had claimed that the “slower one will not make it” to Red Bull.
The future looks bright for Tsunoda, especially with Ricciardo underperforming massively in comparison to him. After the first six races of the 2024 season, Tsunoda has scored 14 points, seven of which he scored in Miami two weeks ago.
On the other hand, Ricciardo managed to score just five points, all of which came after he finished a stunning fourth during the Miami GP sprint race. However, since such performances from the Honey Badger have been so rare, Tsunoda is undoubtedly outperforming him.
Therefore, if Red Bull does consider promoting either of the two V-CARB drivers, then Tsunoda is likely to get the nod, evaluating his form at the moment. Meanwhile, even if the Japanese driver fails to secure the promotion, he is likely to have another option of moving to a top team.
That option is likely to be Aston Martin. With Honda, who have backed Tsunoda for long, joining forces with Aston Martin from 2026 onwards, the 24-year-old could receive an offer from them.
