After a tempestuous debut year, Yuki Tsunoda seems to have his emotion - and with it his AlphaTauri - a little more under control. In the standings, the Japanese driver is even classified above his teammate Pierre Gasly.
Waiting
Tsunoda needs a good second year if he is to secure a spot in Formula One for the longer term. To MotorsportNextGen-Auto he tells that his goal - of course - is the world title. The Japanese says he dreams of it, but also realizes that he will probably have to change teams for a serious chance at it.
At Red Bull Racing, he would have a car with which he can compete for prizes. For now, Tsunoda should not count on making the switch to the Austrian team. Last week Sergio Perez extended his contract at Red Bull until the end of 2024. So at the earliest in 2025 there will be a spot next to Verstappen.
Beating Max
"It would be nice to drive next to him," Tsunoda said. "I think he is currently the best driver on the grid after me! I learned a lot from him when I joined Red Bull. And it would be great to become his teammate one day. Of course, I would have to beat him to become world champion. If that's the case, I could consider myself one of the best drivers in Formula 1."