Tsunoda shocked to get F1 call up so soon

Rookie AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tusnoda has said he did not expect to get a call up to race in Formula 1 after just one year racing in F2.

Speaking to the team’s media following the launch of the AT02 2021 car, Tsunoda was asked whether he thought he would get the nod to step up to F1 after finishing third in F2 last year.

"No, not really!!" he said.

"To reach Formula 1 - which was my final goal as a driver - you don’t just have to deliver results, you also need some luck, and this is something you can’t control. So, from my side, I knew I always had to give my best at all times. It was in my hands to stand out and impress the bosses, who can make your dream come true.

"In every series, you need to develop a strong pace very quickly, so I was committed to doing well right from the start of my career. It was good to show what I could achieve in my inaugural year in F2 and I’m so happy to have graduated to F1 so quickly."

The Japanese driver also said he wasn’t feeling the pressure of being the youngest driver on the grid, as he becomes the first driver born this century to compete in F1.

"I don’t think it’s worth putting too much emphasis on age – as Max Verstappen was 17 when he started – but I feel it’s an honour to be the first driver on the grid to be born in 2000."