Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri AT04, 2023

Tsunoda “definitely in more control” entering third season

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In the round-up: AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda believes he is “in more control” as a driver ahead of his third season in Formula 1

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In brief

Tsunoda “definitely in more control” entering third season

AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda believes he is “in more control” as a driver ahead of his third season in Formula 1.

Tsunoda will compete in his third year in F1 and third with AlphaTauri in 2023. After making major errors at times during his first two seasons, Tsunoda is confident he will be a more consistent driver in 2023.

“I’m at a completely different level now, although I have still kept the good aspects of my first year,” Tsunoda said.

“But now, I am definitely more in control, more involved with the team when it comes to the development of the car and I also act differently, having learned lots of things, not just when it comes to racing but also in my life away from the track. Even that has a positive effect in how I race. I had underestimated what was involved, but now I’ve figured out the things that are really important.”

Russian, Belarusian dual-nationals permitted to race by FIA

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The FIA will permit any drivers from Russia or Belarus who hold dual citizenship to compete in FIA sanctioned competitions in 2023, provided they compete under their second nationality.

The governing body of motorsport enforced emergency measures to prohibit FIA competitions from taking place in Russia or Belarus or display Russian or Belarusian flags at FIA events following the Russian military invasion of Ukraine last year. Russian and Belarusian drivers could compete in FIA events, but had to sign an FIA statement agreeing to condemn the invasion.

After a meeting of the world motor sport council in December, the FIA informed all its members that it will permit dual-nationals holding Russian or Belarusian citizenship to compete under their second nationality without signing the declaration. The FIA stated all competitors “shall remain liable to comply with the FIA’s principles of peace and political neutrality.”

Chambers wins race, Wurz takes FROC title win

Charlie Wurz sealed the Formula Regional Oceania Championship title with victory in the final race of the series in Taupo.

The 17-year-old son of former F1 driver Alexander Wurz won from pole position to take the championship over Callum Hedge after the pair entered the third and final race of the weekend.

Earlier in the day, former W Series driver Chloe Chambers took victory in race two, taking a hat trick of pole, victory and a fastest lap. She became the first female driver to take a race win in the series.

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Social media

Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:

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Comment of the day

This weekend’s Caption Competition winner is @red-andy!:

Alfa Romeo C43 launch show car, 2023

The return of the blown diffuser!
Red Andy

Thanks to everyone who came up with caption idea this week and a special mention to TheDonz, Cyberaxiom and EffWunFan who all came up with particularly good captions.

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday to Geo132, Jason, Sebastien Carter, Shyguy2008 and Sparky!

On this day in motorsport

  • On this day in 2005 Maurice Trintignant, who scored both of his only F1 world championship race wins in the Monaco Grand Prix, died at the age of 87

Author information

Will Wood
Will has been a RaceFans contributor since 2012 during which time he has covered F1 test sessions, launch events and interviewed drivers. He mainly...

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11 comments on “Tsunoda “definitely in more control” entering third season”

  1. Profile Photo

    Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
    13th February 2023, 0:13

    Fred looks uncannily like Ron Dennis, and I misread the Williams caption as “our F1 clangers”

  2. Profile Photo

    UNeedAFinn2Win (@uneedafinn2win)
    13th February 2023, 6:09

    So that’s sort of blurring lines of real-life racing and actual racing

    …consider the line thoroughly blurred

    We are linking The Daily Mail, really ?

    1. Profile Photo

      petebaldwin (@)
      13th February 2023, 9:33

      I’d have thought the Daily Mail links would be quite popular on her judging by the comment section whenever anything vaguely political is mentioned.

  3. Profile Photo

    HK (@me4me)
    13th February 2023, 8:26

    Sounds like studying a script was part of Tsunodas homework over the winter. All the right words, now lets see if any of it is true.

  4. Profile Photo

    Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
    13th February 2023, 8:48

    but had to sign an FIA statement agreeing to condemn the invasion.

    So I suppose the British, American and the French drivers have also signed an FIA statement agreeing to condemn the invasions of Iraq and Libya.

    1. Jb
      13th February 2023, 12:31

      Whataboutism doesn’t make you right

      1. MichaelN
        13th February 2023, 16:55

        It’s not the business of the FIA to police the political thoughts of people involved in motorsport. It even says so in their own statutes that they “shall refrain from manifesting discrimination on account of (…) ethnic or social origin (…) [or] political opinion”. Demanding that certain people sign political statements in order to compete was never within the FIA’s mandate, and it’s only right that it’s been scrapped.

        It’s not the business of the FIA to make Robert Schwartzman denounce the Russian invasion of Ukraine any more than it is their business to demand statements from Zhou on Xinjiang, Verstappen on Monégasque tax policy, or Hamilton on the British invasion of Iraq under the leadership of his fellow knight “Sir Tony”.

    2. Profile Photo

      Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
      15th February 2023, 20:21

      @tifoso1989 The Russian invasion of Ukraine making it impossible for the FIA to continue racing in Russia that forced the FIA to take special measures – Russia’s behaviour damaged the FIA, and the FIA’s own regulations don’t allow drivers to condone behaviour that damages the FIA. Especially given the current president’s interpretation of politics to mean that anything that could possibly damage the FIA must be seen as a big threat and the fact that the FIA is based in countries that legally prevented any greater association with Russians and Belarussians than what the FIA proposed. (If the FIA truly did stop dual-national people from competing without a signed statement, it’s also possible lawyers were involved – not all drivers identify equally with all components of their nationality, even before considering their politics. Which has taken my opinion of the FIA’s handling of that crisis down a notch).

      Iraq and Libya were invaded in different presidencies, where the leaders were sensible enough to appreciate that wars that didn’t stop the FIA from conducting its usual activities in those countries didn’t give the FIA any leeway with which to attempt something like this (with some or all of its drivers) – provided nobody did anything to link motorsport and the invasions in the public mind (and they didn’t). Without the danger of a link being established (let alone openly asserted as happened with Nikita Mazepin wearing Russian military insignia as part of his helmet design in certain races), pre-emptive statement-signing would have resulted in mockery at best.

      1. Profile Photo

        Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
        18th February 2023, 12:26

        @alianora-la-canta

        The world has rightfully condemned Russia’s aggression on Ukraine, and the strictest possible measures and sanctions should be taken against Russia to make it rethink what they have committed. The argument that politics shouldn’t interfere with sports is just a political card held by the West to waive when needed.

        It doesn’t matter if the invasions happened before the current presidency because their consequences still extend to this day, as seen in countries like Libya and Iraq. These countries are still colonized, and the situation has gotten out of hand since they have become a target for whatever mercenaries are looking for their oil, such as Russians, Turks, French, and Iranians.

        Forcing Russian drivers to condemn the invasion is not the FIA’s business. Firstly, the FIA has already contradicted their own policy of political neutrality, and secondly, they are putting the drivers’ lives in danger because they have forced them to come out against their own country.

        Overall, it is crucial that the world takes a firm stance against Russian aggression, and the FIA should focus on their core business of managing motorsport events, rather than getting involved in politics.

        1. Profile Photo

          Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
          19th February 2023, 22:11

          @tifoso1989 My point regarding the examples you cited is that it’s the difference between the FIA being legally obliged to intervene (Russia/Ukraine – if the FIA had done less, it could and probably would have been in court) and the FIA being legally obliged to not intervene (barring drivers/entrants implying the FIA itself had a stance on those invasions, the FIA intervening could and probably would have landed it in court).

          Neither particularly reflects choices the FIA has – the current president simply appears to have forgotten that some countries (including the one where the FIA is based) require a balance between the law of political neutrality for voluntary organisations (and, in the case of Ukraine/Russia, also sanction compliance and IOC order compliance*) – a pair of laws that weren’t written with global sports in mind and one that often allows little room for manoeuvrer.

          * – The FIA was more lenient with Russia/Belarus than the IOC mandated. If a Russian or Belarussian had in fact competed in F1, we might have seen consequences from the IOC, but as it was, it decided there were bigger fish to fry.

          1. Profile Photo

            Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
            20th February 2023, 9:54

            @alianora-la-canta
            Fair enough !

Comments are closed.