“We need grip”, Yuki Tsunoda calls for updates after missing out on points at the 2023 Bahrain GP
Yuki Tsunoda wants the updates for his AT04 as soon as possbile, the Japanese narrowly missed out on points at the 2023 season-opener.
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Yuki Tsunoda. Image via The Japan Times.
The season-opener could have been a banger for the Japanese driver, Yuki Tsunoda. The points were well within his reach. Towards the end of the Bahrain GP, the AlphaTauri driver battled with Alex Albon for tenth place. Unfortunately, the AT04 was not up for it. The Williams driver, Albon, pulled through and crossed the chequered flag grabbing points for his team.
Alex Albon had more straight-line speed than Tsunoda. Williams put up a good fight with AlphaTauri at the Bahrain International Circuit. Both cars have different characteristics and are completely different from each other. Albon defended well against Tsunoda with the help of his machinery. After the race, the Japanese driver spoke about the difference between the two cars.
Tsunoda revealed that the AT04 needed grip and less drag. He mentioned to Motorsports.com, “At the moment we are only 12 km/h slower than Williams. So it’s quite a bit. Without DRS we have too much aerodynamic drag, and at the same time, we don’t have much grip to recover this drag. So, as I said, we need a grip. Either grip or less aerodynamic drag.”
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Yuki Tsunoda found it difficult to maintain pace with other cars at the Bahrain GP
Tsunoda reflected on his race and admitted that he gained in the corner but Albon gained more on the straights. The Japanese felt that even with the DRS opened, he had a speed deficit. AlphaTauri’s race pace was not bad, but the car had drag and needed more grip. Tsunoda called for updates as soon as possible.
“We are a long way off. We are still far away, I think, from the pace we would like to have, as soon as I get behind the cars they slip and overheat the tires, so yes, we need more grip in general. We hope to be able to develop over the course of the season, but we need updates as soon as possible, otherwise, we will continue to do so throughout the year.” Tsunoda was very close to getting his points in the opening race but was disappointed as he could not get the result he wanted.
Apart from the drag issues and lack of grip, Tsunoda also blamed his start. The Japanese lost positions on the first lap of the race. He could not keep pace with the other cars on the grid. The AlphaTauri driver is specific about the change he wants to see in his car for the upcoming races. The 22-year-old admitted that he was surprised to be in a fight for the points after the testing and qualifying results. AlphaTauri finished ninth in the championship last season. They aim to improve their overall performance and turn things around for the 2023 season.
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Sugantha Meena
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