“This is absolutely decisive for any young talent” – AlphaTauri boss Franz Tost wants Yuki Tsunoda to stop trying to be the best all the time and focus on cutting down his errors.
Yuki Tsunoda came into F1 with a lot of hype, backed by automobile giants Honda. But the hype has all but died down after a shockingly poor season for AlphaTauri so far. He has just 18 points, compared to his teammate Pierre Gasly’s 66 points.
His boss Franz Tost has asked Tsunoda to emulate a driver, but it is not Gasly. Max Verstappen is being suggested as the reference point for the Japanese, who like him was obsessed with being the best right from the get-go.
“That’s exactly it. This [not wanting to be the best every time] is absolutely decisive for any young talent.
“I recently discussed exactly this aspect with Yuki. He always wants to be the fastest man in the first practice session but crashes because of it. Or he risks too much in Q1 with a car that can easily reach Q3.
“Ultimately, a driver has to learn and experience these things for himself. Max put it into words well and this is typical of the development of every young driver – the process I always insist on.
“I can say ‘don’t risk too much in the first practice session’ but it’s no use. In the end, they have to experience it for themselves.
“I would even say the real understanding only comes after a few years in F1. Every driver needs a few years to really get the hang of the game in Formula 1 and to get the most out of it for themselves.”
