Yuki Tsunoda Reveals the ‘Farewell Gift’ He Wants to Give to His Retirement Bound Team Principal Franz Tost

Yuki Tsunoda Reveals the ‘Farewell Gift’ He Wants to Give to His Retirement Bound Team Principal Franz Tost

AlphaTauri‘s team principal, Franz Tost will be leaving the sport after spending 17 glorious years at the pinnacle of motorsport. In light of his departure, Yuki Tsunoda has sworn to beat Williams at the championship finale as a parting gift for his beloved boss, per reports on X.

Tsunoda was quoted as saying, “Franz Tost has been the only F1 team boss I’ve worked with. I feel I’ve been fighting for him this year, and I really want to beat Williams for him in his last race as team principal. I appreciate what he has done.”

Tost has played a vital role in young Tsunoda’s F1 career. And the Japanese driver acknowledges that. He continued, “Without him, I wouldn’t be racing here, and without his advice, I wouldn’t have made as much progress as I have. Hopefully, we can finish on a good note, end the season the way we want, and be able to put a smile on his face.”

The Faenza-based Red Bull sister team has gained exponentially on Williams in the latter part of the 2023 season. Currently, only seven points separate the two. Ever since the Austin Grand Prix weekend, the team has looked pacier than before with a massive upgrade package. Now, grabbing 7th in the Constructors’ championship can become a reality.

Abu Dhabi GP can be a gamechanger for AlphaTauri

There is no doubt about the fact that AlphaTauri have unlocked a considerable amount of pace from their 2023 challenger. However, their competitors, Williams have stopped upgrading the car since the Italian GP weekend at Monza.

Williams’ boss, James Vowles had revealed, “The car we [currently] have, that’s it. Unlike Haas, who are a fierce adversary, we don’t have anything more coming for the remainder of the year.” Hence, the Swiss-based team might just have an edge over the British racing team going into Abu Dhabi.

Next year, there is going to be a distinct change at the top of AlphaTauri. With Tost exiting the scene, Tsunoda will have a new boss and mentor. It has been revealed that FIA man, Peter Bayer will be joining the team from 2024 onwards in a leadership position.

In 2024, Tsunoda would not have the excuse of inexperience. It would be his 4th full-time season in the sport. And being pitted against the likes of Daniel Ricciardo, next year could be a make or break year for the Japanese driver’s Red Bull aspirations.

Post Edited By: Tanish Chachra
AlphaTauri Daniel Ricciardo Franz Tost Red Bull Williams Yuki Tsunoda

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Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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