Driving a 59-Year-Old Formula 1 Car, Yuki Tsunoda Feels Quite ‘Tight’ Compared to Modern Machinery

Tanish Chachra | 14/07/2024
Driving a 59-Year-Old Formula 1 Car, Yuki Tsunoda Feels Quite ‘Tight’ Compared to Modern Machinery

Yuki Tsunoda got the chance to drive a Honda RA272 during the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Talking about the vintage car, Tsunoda, who’s the shortest driver in F1 reveals that he felt quite tight in the vintage car compared to the modern F1 machinery.

The RA272 was Honda’s entry in the 1965 F1 season. And being the Honda-backed driver Tsunoda got his hands on the car. “Normally, I’m quite small in the cockpit, but actually even my size, it’s actually quite tight,” said Tsunoda.

The Japanese driver made other observations too about the car. Never before he got the opportunity to lay his hands on such a historical machinery, but when asked about it he reveals a huge contrast in control of the old cars.

“Everything feels direct. Even the process of starting the engine. It’s very difficult. But at the same time, you feel like you’re controlling the car.”, he said.

Tsunoda trying to give more clarity on the feel of the car made a hilarious reference to what his engineer said earlier, “To drive this car, try to remind yourself like treating your grandma. Everything gentle.”

Tsunoda was not the only person from Red Bull to get themselves out on the track. On Saturday, Adrian Newey also hit the floor with another legendary car.

Newey gets out in Niki Lauda’s legendary car

The aero-god Newey hardly gets to drive around despite designing the top breed of F1 cars. But the festivals like Goodwood allow him to have his own fun.

The outgoing Red Bull engineer, who got to the festival in a Red Bull suit, drove Niki Lauda’s championship-winning car – the Ferrari 312B3. Apart from that Newey was also present to witness the launch of RB17, Red Bull’s first road car.

RB17 was made under his charge and is also termed as his ‘utopia’. And the car price is totally increasing its hype as it would cost $7.6 million in the market.

Meanwhile, other Red Bull names like Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, Daniel Ricciardo, and Christian Horner are also in attendance at the Goodwood Festival.

Post Edited By: Aishwary Gaonkar
Yuki Tsunoda

About the author

Tanish Chachra

Tanish Chachra is the Motorsport editor at The SportsRush. He saw his first race when F1 visited India in 2011, and since then, his romance with the sport has been seasonal until he took up this role in 2020. Reigniting F1's coverage on this site, Tanish has fallen in love with the sport all over again. He loves Kimi Raikkonen and sees a future world champion in Oscar Piastri. Away from us, he loves to snuggle inside his books.

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