As much as Lewis Hamilton is a rival for all drivers on track, it is also a privilege for them to compete with arguably one of the greatest F1 racers of all time. Yuki Tsunoda too has a similar level of respect for the Briton and revealed in a recent interview how the two get along quite well.
“He’s a really nice guy,” Tsunoda replied when asked what he feels about sharing the same space as Hamilton in an interview with Honda Racing. The Japanese driver added that the two have several interests in common and enjoy discussing “silly” things about their private lives.
Tsunoda‘s praises for Hamilton did not end there as he also explained how the seven-time F1 champion has a different aura and is a “global celebrity”. “He’s a star and he exudes that aura,” the RB driver added when asked if Hamilton was just another regular “bloke” in the paddock or was something special.
️| Yuki Tsunoda speaks about Lewis Hamilton. He says he definitely has a special aura that he feels, he’s a global celebrity.
(via: Honda Racing 2024 season finale) #YT22 #F1 pic.twitter.com/gD2oG968t5
— Hawk (@Hawk9248) December 15, 2024
In another interview last month, Tsunoda admitted how it is “crazy” that he is still getting to compete against the now 39-year-old Hamilton, having clicked a picture with the same driver’s car back in 2007 as a young kid.
Tsunoda was a child when Hamilton debuted
When Tsunoda visited the Fuji Speedway for the 2007 Japanese GP, it was a huge honor for the then 7-year-old to meet Hamilton and also click a picture with his McLaren car. That year saw the British driver debut in F1 and Tsunoda was his avid fan. 17 years later, however, he mainly sees Hamilton as a competitor.
“Once we are racing, he is like one of the enemies,” the #22 driver revealed on The Red Flags podcast when asked what it feels like to compete against Hamilton after all these years.
Like most F1 drivers today, Tsunoda’s rise to the pinnacle of motorsport has not been easy. His major breakthrough came in 2019 when he competed in the F3 championship, having competed only in the Japanese F4 series prior to that year.
After finishing ninth in F3 in 2019 with Jenzer Motorsport, he moved up to F2 the next season and finished a brilliant third in the championship with Carlin. Red Bull, who had signed him as their junior driver back in 2019, took notice of Tsunoda’s brilliant performances in F2 and decided to give him an F1 seat with their junior team AlphaTauri (now RB) for 2021.
Now, with Tsunoda having completed four seasons with RB and having grown from strength to strength, it will be interesting to see if Red Bull decide to promote him to the main team or not in 2025.
