Yuki Tsunoda will continue to drive in F1 for AlphaTauri in 2023, the team confirmed on Thursday. "I want to say a huge thank you to Red Bull, Honda and AlphaTauri for continuing to give me the opportunity to drive in F1," Tsunoda said. "Having moved to Italy last year, to be closer to the factory, I really feel part of the team and am glad that I get to carry on racing with them in 2023. "Of course, our 2022 season isn’t over yet and we're still pushing hard in the midfield battle, so I'm fully focused on finishing it on a high and then we will look forward to next year." Tsunoda made his F1 debut with AlphaTauri in 2021, scoring points on seven occasions and finishing a career-best fourth at that year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to end the season 14th in the Drivers' Championship with 32 points. Though he proved to be somewhat accident-prone, the Japanese showed enough of a turn of speed for Red Bull to keep him on at the firm's junior outfit for another year. Although Tsunoda started 2022 well, with three points finishes in the first six races, the Japanese has suffered a slump in form since, having not scored in the last ten races. Tsunoda also slid off the track in Canada and collided with teammate Pierre Gasly at Silverstone, putting the Frenchman out of the race. However, with Gasly linked with a move to Alpine, and Red Bull seemingly having failed to secure a Super Licence for Colton Herta, it had seemed likely that Tsunoda would be retained for a third season, especially with none of the Red Bull-affiliated drivers in F2 having stood out this year.
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