Honda boss knows why Tsunoda had 'fantastic' Red Bull debut: 'He's special'
Yuki Tsunoda in Japan
A filmmaker with a soft spot for Ronnie Peterson, Gilles Villeneuve, Mika Hakkinen and above all, Tazio Nuvolari and Ayrton Senna, is also a diehard Formula One fan since the age of 4 (mid-90's). An avid researcher of the past of Grand Prix Racing since before it was even named F1, and with a thirst for knowledge of the ins and outs of the actuality of the sport, as well as for the technical aspects that define it, is a member of GPblog since 2023, where he has put his love of racing to good use.
Honda was very happy that Yuki Tsunoda made his debut for Red Bull Racing at his home race, the Japanese Grand Prix. A debut without points, does not dampen Koji Watanabe's outlook.
Honda Racing's president thought their driver did 'fantastic' in his first ever outing for the Austrian team - something the fans agreed with as they chose him as the driver of the day. "This will help him for the rest of the season, and I look forward to seeing him on the podium," Watanabe said after the race to Autosport.web, revealing a conversation had taken place between the two prior to the Grand Prix held at Suzuka.
"Well, even when I told him to 'stay calm,' I wasn't calm myself (laughs). It had been a while since I had last been nervous, so I was afraid I would transfer my nervousness to him, but I was glad he drove calmly."
Honda president sees a special Tsunoda
Watanabe then shared what he thought were the qualities that made Tsunoda 'special', among them, his determination. "I think his ability to turn his words into action is truly fantastic," praised the company's president Tsunoda. "His ability to put his skills into practice makes him so special."
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In line with what Tsunoda has shown this season, a more tempered approach to his onboard radio discussions with his teams this season, Racing Bulls and now Red Bull Racing, Honda's president commended the Japanese driver on the character change.
"He also has excellent communication skills. It is reassuring to see that he can communicate well with the Red Bull management, and I believe that leads to good results."
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