"I'm a shouty guy": Tsunoda told to rein in "emotional" radio chatter

AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost says Yuki Tsunoda needs to work on how he conducts himself on the radio to improve his concentration in the car.

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Tsunoda has become known for his voluble radio messages since entering Formula 1 in 2021. While the team has addressed the matter with him previously, Tost believes there is still room for improvement.

“Yuki came into Formula 1, he was very young, and if something didn’t work as he expected then he showed his emotions,” said Tost. “But it’s not only Yuki, it’s also the other drivers.

“I said to him it’s not so good. Not because of coming out with emotions, but it takes away concentration of energy from you during driving. He should be more concentrated on driving the car instead of shouting around in the radio. Because it does not help anybody.

“You can say afterwards if something went wrong, but once in the car it happens [then] it’s happened. It’s gone, it’s past tense. Therefore, be concentrated on what’s going on. That’s much more important.

“I hope that he will realise this, because once more it takes away concentration. It takes away from going forward.”

Now in his third year as an F1 driver, Tsunoda is giving better feedback than when he arrived, says Tost.

“His feedback has improved a lot, especially always on the technical side,” he explained, noting that even when Tsunoda was doing constant-speed aerodynamic runs with large rakes fitted to the car during testing “he gave some useful information to the engineers.”

“He learned a lot last year. He will also learn this year because in Formula 1 you always learn something. There’s never standing still.”

Tsunoda said he has taken Tost’s comments on board. “I think I can control it,” he said. “The thing is, if you hear my radio, generally I feel like I’m a shouty guy. But the thing is, I can’t hear my voice because of the wind. So I don’t know what they can hear or can’t hear, that’s why I’m quite staying loud.

“But sometimes, exactly it’s like I really get frustrated [like in] qualifying when I get traffic. But I think I can manage, I hope. I actually didn’t really train [for] those things specifically, but already I feel I’m getting better and better in the second half of season from last year. So I just kind of continue that.”

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15 comments on ““I’m a shouty guy”: Tsunoda told to rein in “emotional” radio chatter”

RBAlonso (@rbalonso)
15th March 2023, 8:52

Team Radio really is a window into the soul. I love that it’s such a clear example of the teamwork involved as well as the driver’s mental state. I feel a huge percentage of DTS’ success relates to it – albeit they like to move it to different moments in the season! No other sport really offers as good an insight into how the key players are thinking.

I’ve always loved Alonso’s team radio, Schumacher was great too in a different way but both had an obvious vision of what’s going on outwith their car and team. A key element of their greatness in plain sight. This is where is feel some other drivers have lost their way.

Tsunoda is far too emotional and I feel in a fight with an Alonso that Alonso would put him in compromising positions to frustrate him and then beat him on strategy, as Yuki won’t be able to juggle both. Norris also falls foul of this too often. Short, intemperate remarks, particularly in the wet, suggests that he has real anxiety under pressure or that the team don’t communicate with him at the right times for the right information. Both would benefit from saying less in high pressure moments for me.

Jere (@jerejj)
15th March 2023, 9:41
@rbalonso I’ve also always loved Alonso’s radio comms (+ Kimi’s, for example), & I agree with you about Tsunoda & Norris. Additionally, the same is also true about Gasly to an extent & even Leclerc occasionally.
Overall, some drivers are more emotinally vocal than others, who are calmer under pressure, so I guess, individual personality effect.
1. Jere (@jerejj)
  16th March 2023, 6:09
  ’emotionally’
2. Nick T.
  17th March 2023, 17:24
  Gasly is the worst. While Tsunoda throws little tantrums, Gasly is just obnoxious in a way he hasn’t earned the clout to get away with yet.

Jere (@jerejj)
15th March 2023, 9:38

”I can’t hear my voice because of the wind”
– I’ve never heard or read an F1 driver say something like this.

David BR (@david-br)
15th March 2023, 22:05
@jerejj Nor me. But anyhow, presumably the answer to ‘what the team can hear’ is ‘everything’ (or ‘presume everything’).

S
15th March 2023, 9:55

So they are effectively putting pressure on him to concentrate on what not to say rather than just naturally releasing that pressure…
Sometimes a quick outburst is the best way to get it out of the system and quickly regain full concentration.
Good luck to them all if they think that will work.

Personally, I don’t think it should be broadcast in the first place… But whatever.

Lewisham Milton
15th March 2023, 12:11

Sometimes I wish the engineers could be more like drivers, not the other way round.

Yes (@come-on-kubica)
15th March 2023, 13:15

I think this is the end of the road for Yuki. Has been as disappointing as he was in f2.

Ajaxn
15th March 2023, 18:38
wish again, Yuki has enough support behind him to buy him his own team.
As for him being too emotional, this is the first time i’ve heard of this. Are there any YT links to his ’emotional outburst’.
It could be a cultural thing which his team hasn’t yet assimulated, eg his affirmations, may seem loud
to a western ear, but would be expected by his own fans and supporters in Japan.
1. ryanoceros (@ryanoceros)
  15th March 2023, 20:13
  [Tsunoda] has enough support behind him to buy him his own team
  Can you elaborate? I understand Honda likes his involvement in the sport because he is Japanese but who else is supporting him and why?
2. ryanoceros (@ryanoceros)
  15th March 2023, 20:16
  As for him being too emotional, this is the first time i’ve heard of this. Are there any YT links to his ’emotional outburst’.
  Check out drive to survive season 4 episode 7
3. Nick T.
  17th March 2023, 17:27
  I’ve often heard he’s not that popular in Japan. So, this is surprising to hear. And what do you mean not emotional? Not only has he screamed about a thousand times on the radio, he’s admitted himself that he’s a hot head. It’s almost like you’re either really biased or have no idea what you’re on about.