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Formulation 1 is again in the USA this weekend, for the second installment of the Miami Grand Prix.
For AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda, that may very well be an excellent factor.
Tsunoda has been one of many surprises of this season — extra on that in a second — and returns to Miami Worldwide Autodrome, one of many 5 tracks the place he superior to Q3 through the 2022 marketing campaign. That, coupled together with his expertise in final yr’s inaugural Miami Grand Prix, has Tsunoda wanting ahead to the weekend.
“I made it to Q3 in Miami final yr and I appreciated the observe. The environment there’s undoubtedly particular, and the American followers are very enthusiastic. My reminiscences of that week are that it is extremely sizzling and the humidity was fairly excessive, which made the race fairly demanding bodily,” stated Tsunoda within the crew’s preview of Miami for the media. “Final yr, I hadn’t anticipated that, however I might be ready this time. I did loads of Miami work within the simulator and it has some sections much like Baku, so I hope we will be on the tempo and maintain making progress with the automobile.”
A season in the past, Tsunoda certified in P9 for Miami, however struggled with race tempo and ended up in P12, out of the factors. “I’m actually dissatisfied with in the present day. On the primary lap I struggled with tempo and was overtaken by a couple of automobiles, then I wasn’t capable of get well from there for the remainder of the race,” stated Tsunoda after the 2022 Miami Grand Prix. “We had been proud of the best way that we’d constructed up our confidence within the automobile from FP1, so it’s irritating to have carried out so poorly in the present day.”
Tsunoda is coming off back-to-back factors finishes. After starting the yr with a pair of P11 finishes in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, he received into the factors down in Melbourne within the Australian Grand Prix, coming throughout the road tenth.
Then final week in Azerbaijan, Tsunoda put collectively a really affected person race to once more end tenth. He was operating exterior the factors, however with Esteban Ocon and Nico Hülkenberg forward of him — and each drivers needing to pit — Tsunoda remained affected person, letting the race come to him.
Ultimately each the Haas and the Alpine drivers got here into the pits, and Tsunoda adopted Lando Norris into the factors.
Tsunoda mirrored on his efficiency in Baku in AlphaTauri’s media preview. “It was a little bit of an untidy time in Baku, however I’ve come to Miami with a really constructive mindset as there have been many indicators that we’re making actual progress with the automobile and the updates that got here out of Bicester, particularly these geared toward enhancing our prime velocity, actually appeared to work,” stated Tsunoda. “The highpoint in Azerbaijan was qualifying eighth, so scoring some extent for tenth was good, however I’d hoped for higher. Additionally, I used to be happy with my very own efficiency by way of how I used to be driving and the way I dealt with the assorted conditions of the very busy Dash weekend format.”
His efficiency this season has actually caught the eye of many across the F1 world. AlphaTauri Workforce Principal Franz Tost predicted forward of the Australian Grand Prix that Tsunoda could be prepared for a seat with Pink Bull, AlphaTauri’s sister crew, come 2025: “However I feel he ought to drive at AlphaTauri once more in 2024. In 2025, I feel he’ll lastly be prepared for Pink Bull.”
And the outcomes this season again that up. On this examine of the F1 season, you may see Tsunoda’s consistency when in comparison with the remainder of the sector, on this sensible examine of finishes from this season:
That consistency has additionally caught the eye of the person who may very well be his boss down the highway, Pink Bull Workforce Principal Christian Horner. “I don’t suppose he’s at our stage, but, however he’s making nice progress,” stated Horner this week. “We’re seeing he’s maturing as a driver. He actually has the velocity and I feel as he positive aspects expertise, I’m positive he’s going to turn out to be extra rounded. He’s pushed some robust races to this point this yr.”
One other robust race this week down in Miami might get Tsunoda nearer to that aim.
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