2021 was a difficult season for Yuki Tsunoda as he struggled in his first campaign in Formula One.

The Japanese driver had multiple incidents and spins which dented his confidence severely after a great debut in Bahrain.

However, he did finish last year very strongly with a career-best P4 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. 

Speaking after the conclusion of the 2021 season, Tsunoda admitted he was a ‘lazy bastard’ and added last month he had problems adapting when things got tough.

When chatting to MotorLat and other selected media on Friday in Barcelona, AlphaTauri team boss Franz Tost talked about how Tsunoda and other young drivers underestimate the physical fitness they need when they graduate to Formula One.

“It's not only Yuki who underestimates how physical it is to drive a Formula One car,” he said.

“It's nearly [the same] for all the young drivers when they come the first time into a Formula One car, because this is another dimension.

“I always tell them when they come to Formula One 'now your real hard work starts; everything what you did before was kindergarten. Now you have to start working and be disciplined.’

[We need to] push the drivers in the right direction [and then] the more successful they will become.

“Yuki improved a lot during last season. As I mentioned before, it's not only Yuki who has problems at the beginning when he's new in Formula One from the physical side, because all the forces which are coming from braking, from the corners are very very high.

“I don't know any driver who came into Formula One without having any physical problems, because it's a special training.

“This special training for your muscles - the best possible way to get [stronger] is when you are sitting in the car.”

During the 1990s and early 2000s, teams would test most days during the winter break at various venues around Europe ahead of the new season.

However, testing is now extremely limited and Tost believes that plays a role in drivers struggling to quickly adapt physically to F1 cars and the forces they put on the body.

“It was easier 10, 15 years ago; there were much more tests beforehand,” he said.

“Now the drivers have to go more to the gym, have to do a lot of physical training and we must not forget that these cars are the fastest cars ever.”

“The speeds in the corners – also with the new cars – are really very very high. I was really surprised how fast the cars are.

“We only have with these new cars two test days behind us; wait a little bit during the season when the development steps will come up and the cars will become even faster.

“Yuki is doing a good job. He trained a lot during the winter months and from the physical side he's on a much higher level than he was last year.”