AlphaTauri boss Franz Tost says that it is common for drivers to underestimate the physical challenges of an F1 car when they make their debut in the sport, with Yuki Tsunoda having recently spoken of his struggles in his rookie season. Tsunoda endured mixed fortunes in his debut campaign in 2021, and admits that he "could not adapt quickly enough" to "unexpected or unusual" occcurences . The Japanese driver feels that he is now more prepared as he enters into his second year. When quizzed on Tsunoda's comments, Tost pointed out that some of the problems that the youngster faced are common amongst Formula 1 rookies. "It's not only Yuki who underestimates how physical it is to drive a Formula 1 car," Tost told media including RacingNews365.com . "It's really for all the young drivers, when they [race for] the first time in a Formula 1 car, because this is another dimension. "I always tell them when they come to Formula 1: 'Now your real hard work will start. Everything [that] you did before was kindergarten. Now you have to start working, [and] be disciplined'." Tost feels that the more drivers are given a push in the "right direction, the more successful they will become", adding: "Yuki improved a lot during the last season."
Physical challenges of F1
Tost has detailed the physical challenges that new drivers in the sport face, just as Tsunoda did last year. "It's not only Yuki who has problems at the beginning, when he is new in Formula 1, from the physical side," Tost added. "Because all the forces which are coming from braking, from the corners, are very, very high, and I I don't know any driver who came to Formula 1 without having any physical problems. It's a special training." This is an area of F1 that Tost believes has evolved in recent times. "It was easier, let me say, 10 [or] 15 years ago, [when] there were much more tests beforehand," he explained. "Nowadays 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."
Improvement for Tsunoda
In terms of Tsunoda's preparations for the 2022 season, Tost is happy with what he has seen. "Yuki is doing a good job," the Team Principal said. "He understands it. He trained a lot during the winter months. And of course from the physical side, he is much more on a much higher level as it was last year." Tsunoda was behind the wheel of the new AT03 at the recent pre-season test in Barcelona, along with AlphaTauri teammate Pierre Gasly.
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