Tsunoda hit by overtaking idol: "I became quite emotional"

Yuki Tsunoda got the support he deserved during the Formula 1 race in Bahrain on Sunday afternoon when he overtook Fernando Alonso in a sublime way. The AlphaTauri driver outwitted Alonso by outbreaking him in a corner.

It was a special race for both men. Whereas Alonso was back on the Formula 1-track for the first time since 2018, for Tsunoda it was his first race at the highest level of motorsport at all. The Japanese driver was able to learn a lot from Alonso during the race on Sunday, as he drove behind the experienced driver for a while.

"In the race, I drove a few laps behind Fernando and I learned how he pays attention to his tyres and drives in the corners," Tsunoda told Sky Sports F1 a few days later. "After I overtook him I tried to copy his driving style and in a few corners it improved as a result."

Emotional at overtaking Alonso

Tsunoda's father is a big fan of Alonso, who he saw race for the first time at Suzuka. The rookie states to the English medium that his father told at the time that his last corner and acceleration out of the last corner made him the best driver on the grid. So the same driver will meet his son this Formula 1-season.

"I got quite emotional when I caught up with Fernando. The last time I saw him race was I think twelve or thirteen years ago when I was seven or eight years old," Tsunoda continued. "At the first corner, I just trusted Fernando's skills and threw him in like a rookie. I still felt a little guilty for coming from so far away, but I was happy about it."