Tsunoda is very honest: 'I was just a lazy loser'

Yuki Tsunoda had a fairly difficult debut season in Formula 1. The Japanese driver started the season with high hopes in Bahrain, but then experienced a long period without any notable performances. The driver found out what the problem was, and told us in an interview with Autosprint.

Tsunoda was preparing for his first season in Formula 1 in the spring and it was not an easy one. The driver seemed to suffer from the pressure of motorsport, which made him perform below his capabilities. Tsunoda also faced criticism from Helmut Marko, as the Red Bull Racing advisor was unhappy with the rookie's performances.

According to Tsunoda, the poor performances had a clear reason, but when he moved to Italy he got rid of the problem. "The move helped me in my preparation," said Tsunoda. "Before I came to Italy I was just a lazy loser. After training I would go straight home, turn on the PlayStation 5 and play all day, just to have fun."

Tsunoda fights back at AlphaTauri

The AlphaTauri driver was handed an unfortunate blow that Pierre Gasly was exceeding all expectations of the car. The former teammate of Max Verstappen qualified in the top ten on the grid most of the time and showed Tsunoda how well the AlphaTauir car could be driven. At the end of the season, Tsunoda managed to live up to expectations, finishing the final race in fourth, one place ahead of his teammate. He'll bee hoping to take that momeuntum into 2022.