Tsunoda has endured a difficult start to his debut season in 2021, characterized by crashes and a lack of consistency, prompting a mid-season change of approach and a move to Faenza to move closer to his Italian side.

The 23-year-old has shown the improvement necessary to stay with the team through 2022, but said it will come at a price, as he spoke of the “contractual pressure” that kept him out for all of last year. was affected, while AlphaTauri’s status declined.

The Japanese driver wasn’t set for his third season with the team until late September, and he now says it has become a major distraction, taking a toll on his enjoyment and affecting his performances.

“Obviously I gave it my all, but when I look back, especially (last year) when I didn’t sign a contract between Azerbaijan and Japan, I was distracted for a long time,” he revealed.

“At that moment I forgot to enjoy Formula 1. I just felt like I was driving for the team to get a contract, which shouldn’t be the case.

“When I look back, when I had a good first half of the season, I actually enjoyed the moment. That’s the most important thing for me.

“You don’t want to think about it. I don’t drive for a contract, I drive to show my best performance because I’m in this position. I still believe I’m one of the best drivers and I want to prove it with results and driving and Prove these things.”

Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri AT04

Photography: Red Bull Content Pool

Tsunoda said that realization led to a mental shift heading into the 2023 season, another big challenge for an underperforming team.

Tsunoda is now considered the team’s senior driver, with veteran teammate Pierre Gasly headed to his new pasture in the Alpine. But despite more expectations, he has now entered the year with a lighter frame of mind.

His results appear to reflect his newfound consistency, with AlphaTauri finishing 10th in Melbourne and Baku so far, and 11th in the other three races.

“In my racing career, I’ve enjoyed it more than in previous years,” he explained. “I actually know how much racing means to me, how much Formula 1 means to me, and two years ago, I didn’t feel it like I do now.

“Every race last year I felt like I could have done more, even in qualifying I felt those things, especially in your third year, anything can happen, you keep doing it, You lose your seat.

“So, I was kind of able to rethink what F1 and motorsport meant to me. Thinking about that on a day off during the off-season, things changed.”

“I’ve watched a couple of documentaries and I don’t want to be the guy who has a lot of regrets because I didn’t do well in Formula 1 and now I’m not. That mentality has made me stronger and it’s time for a real change I’ve done it myself, professionally.”

“I didn’t even try to change, I just tried to relax as much as possible. Be comfortable as usual, but at the same time enjoy every game and give a good performance and give it your all.”

Additional reporting by Jake Boxall-Legge