Even though people say that F1 is focused on growing in America of late, Europe will always remain the epicenter of the sport. That has been the case for decades with the entire ecosystem of F1 and its feeder racing series based in the European continent. But it poses a challenge for non-European drivers like Yuki Tsunoda to pursue F1.
Usually, drivers hailing from Asia, Australia, or the Americas have to relocate to Europe to climb the ladder and have a shot at getting a seat in the pinnacle of motorsport. In Tsunoda‘s case, that moment came when he was 18 and aiming to enter Formula 3 after impressing in Japanese F4.
Fortunately, he had Honda’s financial backing, which made it easier for Tsunoda to showcase his talent in the junior formulas. The Japanese driver quickly made progress to move from F3 to F2 within just a couple of seasons and was knocking on the doors of F1 for a full-time seat for the 2021 season.
Now, for any youngster pursuing a high-stakes career like motorsport, staying away from home would require considerable mental strength. Tsunoda claims he managed that well, but even he was human and did feel the solitude at times.
“As for the mentality and emotions of being away from Japan, it all went pretty well. One of my friends from high school came to Europe to help me out a bit,” Tsunoda told Formule1.nl. Naturally, his friend’s presence did not let Tsunoda feel lonely in his first year away.
“In the second year, when I was here alone, I felt quite lonely sometimes,” the 24-year-old added. But this was a reality Tsunoda had to make peace with.
BREAKING: Japan’s Yuki Tsunoda joins the grid for 2021!
The 20-year-old – F2’s rookie of the year – will race for @AlphaTauriF1 #F1 pic.twitter.com/Fk3tJx9Wk8
— Formula 1 (@F1) December 16, 2020
After all, he was chasing his dream of being an F1 driver. As he has raced in F1 for four years now with Red Bull’s sister team, Racing Bulls, Tsunoda has started to feel at home in Europe.
“Europe is better for me”: Tsunoda
During his junior formula career, Tsunoda has lived in various countries across Europe. In F3, he raced for Jenzer Motorsport, which was based in Switzerland. So, that led Tsunoda to live there for a season.
Post that, he joined the Red Bull junior academy, and the Austrian team made him move to the UK until he made it to F1. As their sister team, Racing Bulls (formerly AlphaTauri), was based out of Faenza in Italy, Tsunoda had to shift base again in 2021 when they signed him up as their full-time driver.
Since then, Tsunoda has lived in Italy and has actually liked Italian food and culture. But these relocations have probably made Tsunoda adaptable to any country’s culture and conditions.
He even claims that he misses Europe when he visits Japan or is away for any race in the USA or Asia. Last year, when the #22 driver was away from Europe, he came to this realization.
“I actually feel more at home in Europe now than in Japan. My mindset has completely changed in that respect: Europe is better for me. I feel at home there, I find it relaxed,” he said.
Now that he is getting the promotion to Red Bull, the Japanese driver will once again need to move to the UK, as their headquarters and factory are located in Milton Keynes. Perhaps in the near future, if his bank balance allows, Tsunoda may even follow his teammate Max Verstappen to buy an apartment in Monaco.
