AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda says his former staff mate Nyck de Vries deserved extra races earlier than dropping his race seat simply ten rounds into his rookie season.
De Vries was changed after the British Grand Prix by Daniel Ricciardo, Purple Bull’s third driver, after failing to attain a single level over the primary ten rounds of the championship.
Talking forward of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Tsunoda informed media together with RaceFans that he believes his former staff mate deserved extra time within the automotive earlier than dropping his seat.
“I feel so,” Tsunoda stated. “I feel simply 10 races, particularly at a few tracks that he didn’t know, I feel so.
“On the similar time, I do know what Purple Bull’s aspect is, what they’re saying. However I feel he deserved a minimum of till in all probability the summer season break. I used to be pondering like that.”
Tsunoda stated he had a very good relationship with De Vries and that the pair had exchanged messages after information broke that he had misplaced his seat.
“I informed him what I felt and in addition appreciation to him and he gave me a really good message again,” he stated. “So clearly we’re mates and I felt he was a very nice man and a respectful individual. I can respect a whole lot of issues from him.”
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Tsunoda has scored AlphaTauri’s solely factors of the 2023 season up to now. The staff lies tenth and final within the standings on simply two factors. Requested if he felt the AlphaTauri was an particularly tough automotive to drive for a newcomer, Tsunoda stated he believed the automotive his raced throughout his rookie season two years in the past was more difficult.
“To be sincere, in comparison with the 2021 automotive, this 12 months’s automotive is, for me, in all probability more easy to adapt to in comparison with a 2021 automotive,” he defined.
“The 2021 automobiles had far more downforce, which was an enormous step in comparison with different classes. This 12 months’s automotive charges like final 12 months’s automotive – the 18-inch tyres and fewer grip within the low-speed, it’s slower in these corners. So I don’t really feel prefer it’s super-hard to adapt, but it surely nonetheless is difficult. Particularly as every staff has their very own traits and possibly the AlphaTauri’s not that straightforward as properly.”
Requested if he believes the AlphaTauri is the slowest automotive on the grid, Tsunoda replied “yeah, I feel so.”
“For me, my perspective, we’re not undoubtedly like P8 or P9,” he continued. “It’s not ideally suited. However the good factor is we’re having upgrades each race up to now and we’re going to carry a few stuff to this race, so hopefully we are able to make a little bit of a bit step every race.”
Purple Bull staff principal Christian Horner defined the staff’s determination to not preserve de Vries till the summer season break when he spoke to the official F1 web site.
“I feel the state of affairs was clear,” he stated. “It was a query of ‘okay, what’s the purpose in ready?’ If we’ve obtained to do one thing, we could as properly get on with it and provides Daniel 12 races to see what he’s able to.”
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