After an impressive first season in F2 that ended with a third place in the 2020 championship and the obtainment of a FIA super licence, Yuki Tsunoda is ready for his debut in Formula 1. The Japanese driver seems eager to replace Daniil Kvyat and join the grid to race alongside his new teammate, Pierre Gasly.

In an interview released by Alpha Tauri, he shared how he is ready and determined to give his best, without letting the rookie mistakes he will inevitably make hold him back from pushing hard from the very beginning. 

“This will be my rookie season and I will be pushing hard right from the beginning to adapt to the car as much as possible,”

“However, I’m not afraid to make mistakes – I will of course try and limit them – but they are inevitable at the beginning.”

On the contrary he appears to be quite convinced that will only help him improve and grateful to be the 21st Japanese driver to ever compete in Formula 1. 

“I am confident I can learn from my mistakes though, as I proved last year in Formula 2. I am really happy to have the support of Japanese fans, and I’m proud to be the one to bring another Japanese driver on the grid, after Kamui Kobayashi in 2014.”

Despite the big expectations he also doesn't seem too worried about the pressure that will come from racing in F1.

“As for the pressure, I put it on myself, so nothing changes in that regard for me – I want to push myself to succeed…”

Looking back at the past few years, Tsunoda made his way to the highest class of single-seater competitions in a very fast paced manner, as his first full season driving a racing car was in 2017 in Japanese F4 and that is the advice he would give to his younger self:

“I would say, to start putting all your energy into racing earlier than I did, without being distracted by other things. Until I was 16, I was not that excited about racing. I don’t mean I didn’t like it, but I didn’t put as much effort in as I should have done.”