Tsunoda ready to ‘deliver more and reduce mistakes’ in second season

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In the round-up: Yuki Tsunoda says he understands where he needs to deliver in his second full season of Formula 1.

In brief

Tsunoda “not worried about making mistakes” in second year

After an often trying debut season in 2021, Tsunoda says he is clear where he needs to improve this year. “It’s true that I have to deliver more and reduce the number of mistakes I make compared to last year,” he said. “But I don’t feel any pressure.

“I am convinced I can achieve that and I’m not worried about making mistakes. I am just focussing on developing the car through the season with the team and giving them good feedback. I have the confidence to achieve those things now.”

Having completed his first full season, Tsunoda expects to benefit from his familiarity with F1’s tracks. “I will know most of the circuits this time, apart from Singapore and Australia,” he said. “And even though I have driven at Suzuka, it was in Formula 4, so 45 seconds per lap slower than an F1 car.”

Sainz doubts adaptability will be key 2022 strength

Carlos Sainz Jnr is not convinced the adaptability which served him so well last year will give him an advantage over his rivals following the shake-up in the technical rules for 2022.

In his first season at Ferrari, Sainz unexpectedly out-scored highly-rated team mate Charles Leclerc. He admitted the performance reflected well on him as Leclerc is considered one of F1’s foremost talents.

“I know where Charles is in Formula 1 and I know how good he is,” Sainz told F1. “I have pretty good comparisons to make with with Lando [Norris], with Max [Verstappen] and I know where he stands and I know it was a good year for me, 2021, for that reason.”

Sainz’s Ferrari move was the third new team he had joined within five seasons. However Sainz said he would not overestimate his own adaptability compared to other drivers when it came to the new regulations.

“It could help me, and it could be an advantage,” he acknowledged. “But at the same time, honestly, I think in Formula 1 everyone is good. I think I’ve done well on adapting to new teams, don’t get me wrong, and I think it’s been a strong point of mine.

“But when I look at Charles, when I look at Lando, when I look at Max, I don’t think they will struggle to adapt to a new car. I think that we are all so talented that we will get quick.”

Sauber junior academy expanded, Pourchaire retained

Sauber’s Academy programme has announced that it will continue to back Formula 2’s youngest-ever race winner, Théo Pourchaire, as well as taking on a new junior in Brazilian Roberto Faria.

Pourchaire will continue in F2 with ART this year, while new signing Faria is making the step from Formula 4 to regional F3 in the GB3 championship with Carlin. Both drivers are 18 years old.

Faria said that becoming part of the Sauber Academy was “something special for me and I am grateful to the team for this opportunity. As a young driver, knowing I can rely on the experience and the know-how of a team that developed some of the biggest names in motorsport is huge and I am looking forward to repaying the trust that has been put in me. I can’t wait for the season to start and show the progress I am making.”

Kunimitsu Takahashi 1940-2022

Honda factory motorbike rider and driver Kunimitsu Takahashi passed away on 16th March, aged 82, the manufacturer has confirmed.

Takahashi started his career as a motorbike rider and competed on two wheels from 1958 until 1963, as a competing successfully both in Japan and internationally, becoming the first Japanese rider to win a world motorcycle grand prix.

Following injuries from an accident in 1962, he moved on to car racing, where his success continued including winning the GT2 class at the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans. He made a single F1 start in the 1977 Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji, driving a Tyrrell to ninth place.

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Comment of the day

After the three DRS zones were retained at Sakhir, CDUK Mugello says that if DRS remains with the 2022 cars, despite theoretical improvements to drivers’ ability to overtake, then it should get used in less straightforwardly advantageous places at least.

If we’re keeping DRS at all I’d much rather it’s on sections of the track we don’t traditionally see overtaking.

The straight to the final corner being a great example. Let’s leave the main straights DRS free please.
@cduk_mugello

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday to Herman, Jp From Treasures, Themagicofspeed, Tmax and Alistair C!

On this day in motorsport

  • 20 years ago today Ralf Schumacher led a Williams one-two in Malaysia after team mate Juan Pablo Montoya was given a controversial penalty for colliding with Michael Schumacher at the start

Author information

Hazel Southwell
Hazel is a motorsport and automotive journalist with a particular interest in hybrid systems, electrification, batteries and new fuel technologies....

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9 comments on “Tsunoda ready to ‘deliver more and reduce mistakes’ in second season”

  1. F1 needs to heal from 12 years of below par form.

    1. @peartree 12 years specifically?

      1. @jerejj 12 long years a slave of this underwhelming formula.

  2. F1 doesn’t need to heal, it needs to be exorcised… It’s turning into a monster. The metamorphosis to entertainment from sport is nearly complete. Stewarding decisions this year and how seriously they’re scrutinised will tell a lot, deliberately driving off the circuit, deliberately driving erratically, deliberately driving slowly… Too much has been ignored that is crystal clear in the regulations.

  3. RocketTankski
    17th March 2022, 6:47

    When the Alpha bullies demanded his lunch money, Yuki tried to explain about performance related pay.

    1. Yeah I should’ve saved that one for a Caption Competition. Ah well…

  4. He needs to improve from last season & be more consistent, but I’m hopeful he can achieve these.

    Adaptability shouldn’t be an issue indeed.

    RIP, although I never knew who Kunimitsu Takahashi was.

    USGP at COTA is definitely a popular event when ticket demand has been extraordinary.

    Good catch by F1’s official Twitter account.

    Some healing is necessary.

    I still don’t really feel double standard treatment occurs between Russia & Arab countries, but I see the points raised by lawmakers from different European countries.

    Yes, back straight into the final corner is a relatively untraditional track section for overtaking, but so is the T10-T11 straight.

  5. JohnnyRye (@)
    17th March 2022, 23:56

    I need some clarification around Ferrari’s focus on Merc’s mirrors (I know it’s not part of this round-up)

    1) Its impossible for mirrors not to have an impact aerodynamically, so I’m not sure why it’s regulated I guess. Besides having a prescribed size, I don’t get the fuss.

    2) it’s not like mirrors will be the next million dollar battleground, particularly under the cost cap, and the overall impact of the mirrors in the grand scheme of things.

    3) is Ferrari trying to open a development area for itself, or are they trying to have an impact on Mercedes?

    I’m genuinely confused by the attention they’re giving to mirrors. Any insight is appreciated.

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