Yuki Tsunoda hails ex-AlphaTauri boss Franz Tost for his support during tough times in F1

Yuki Tsunoda appreciated Franz Tost's time as Alpha Tauri's head, as the Austrian announced his retirement from F1 after 23 years in the sport.

Yuki Tsunoda hails ex-AlphaTauri boss Franz Tost for his support during tough times in F1

Stefano Domenicali, Yuki Tsunoda, Franz Tost and Mohammed Ben Sulayem (VIa IMAGO)

Franz Tost was the team boss of the Scuderia AlphaTauri team, heading the Italian outfit for 18 years, since its inception along with Red Bull. The Austrian harbored many talents in the team that was previously known as Toro Rosso, with the drivers that once drove for his team going on to win a combined total of 118 wins.

Tost announced his retirement post the end of the 2023 season, which came weeks ago with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix’s conclusion. Now, AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda has revealed the 67-year-old team boss’s support through tough times for the young Japanese driver as Tost’s retirement has finally come.

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Even in the bad moments, good moments, we share with each other the happiness or sadness. He is always the biggest supporter in the team.
Yuki Tsunoda said, as reported by motorsport.com

Tost has long been a supporter of Tsunoda, being instrumental in his position in the team. 2023 marked the third year for Tsunoda in the Alpha Tauri seat and he has partnered with four different drivers, three of them in the 2023 season alone. Tsunoda’s teammate for the 2024 season is Daniel Ricciardo, a favorite for the 2025 Red Bull seat.

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Yuki Tsunoda claimed he was completely unaware of leading the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

The 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the final race of the calendar, notably with all drivers classified for the first time. The race was won by Max Verstappen, who took victory ahead of Charles Leclerc after the Monegasque driver’s fifth consecutive front-row start.

Yuki Tsunoda
Yuki Tsunoda (Credits: PlanetF1)

Yuki Tsunoda had a moment in the sun for Alpha Tauri in the race, as between laps 18 and 22, the young Japanese driver led the race. Due to differing pitting strategies, the lead was handed to him until he came in for his stop, making him the second Japanese driver ever to lead a Formula One race. However, Tsunoda claimed he had no idea whatsoever about his lead of the race, surprised about it post-race.

I gave it everything. To be honest, I didn't know I was leading the pack, so I'm quite surprised about it. Looking back at the first half of the season, we never thought about leading the pack.
Yuki Tsunoda said, as reported by racingnews365

Yuki Tsunoda’s lead is the second-ever F1 race lead for a Japanese driver, the first since 2x Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato, who led the European GP in 2004. Tsunoda can potentially score similar results in 2023, with Alpha Tauri planning to copy the RB19 design for their 2024 campaign.

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