“Food is quite an important thing too”: 22-year-old Yuki Tsunoda credits moving to Italy in shaping career revival

"Food is quite an important thing too": 22-year-old Yuki Tsunoda credits moving to Italy in shaping career revival

Yuki Tsunoda made his AlphaTauri debut in 2021 after impressing in F2 the previous year. His start to life in the sport didn’t quite go according to plan, with teammate Pierre Gasly comprehensively outperforming on almost all occasions. Tsunoda struggled a lot to get used to life in F1, and rumors of him getting replaced at the end of the season started to emerge.

However, midway into the 2021 campaign, he made the decision to move to Faenza, Italy. That is where AlphaTauri is based, and being close to the headquarters certainly helped him with his focus. Ever since moving to Italy, the Japanese driver admits that he has been happier, and the work-life balance has suited him.

On top of that, Tsunoda described how the weather and food are much better in Faenza. All these factors have contributed to his relative improvement in terms of performance in F1 races.

“In the UK, the atmosphere there was not as much as I wanted,” the AlphaTauri star said as reported by GPfans. “The weather especially impacted me. Weather is quite an important thing for me, and food is as well. So when I went to Italy, I already felt more energetic, more than usual. Then I felt it was a big, important move and was having a good impact on me.”

Also read: Nico Rosberg excludes Lewis Hamilton from top 3 in his 2022 F1 rankings

Yuki Tsunoda looking to overcome Dutch challenge in 2023

Tsunoda’s had a much better 2022 than his rookie campaign. The gap between himself and Gasly wasn’t as big as it was in the initial stages, and he earned plaudits from Red Bull’s chief advisor Helmut Marko. However, the 22-year-old faces a new kind of challenge next season.

Gasly and Tsunoda had a great (possibly the best) relationship as teammates, but the Frenchman won’t be at the outfit anymore. He moves to Alpine, and Nyck de Vries has been brought in as his replacement. The Dutchman has only raced in one F1 Grand Prix but comes with huge racing achievements. He’s a former F2 Champion and also won the Formula E Title two years ago.

Red Bull has one of the most stacked junior programs in F1 today, and Tsunoda has to be at the top of his game if he wants to continue at the team post 2023.

Also read: Michael Schumacher once defeated Shaquille O’Neal by $50.6 million around 20 years ago

 

Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
AlphaTauri Nyck de Vries Pierre Gasly Red Bull Yuki Tsunoda

About the author

Avatar photo

Somin Bhattacharjee

Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

Don’t miss these