LONDON • Formula One's motor sport managing director Ross Brawn has hailed Yuki Tsunoda as the best rookie in years after the Japanese scored points on his debut in Bahrain last Sunday.
The former Ferrari technical director who also ran the Honda, Brawn and Mercedes teams, said he had been impressed by the 20-year-old AlphaTauri driver's "brilliant spells" during the season-opening race.
"He is the best rookie F1 has had for years, having been fairly stunning in whatever series he has competed in," said the Briton in a column. "His promotion by Red Bull looks like a brilliant move.
"We can all remember the glorious days of full grandstands at Suzuka and the passion of the Japanese fans.
"I think we are going to have that again, which is incredibly exciting."
F1 has three rookies this season, one of them last year's Formula Two winner Mick Schumacher - the son of seven-time world champion and Ferrari great Michael - and the other, his Haas teammate Nikita Mazepin.
Schumacher finished 16th, while Russian Mazepin spun off at the third corner - the shortest F1 debut since 2002.
Canadian Nicholas Latifi was the sole rookie last year, failing to score a point with Williams, with Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne being the last rookie to score points in his first race in a McLaren in 2016.
Tsunoda, who was ninth in Bahrain, was the first Japanese to score points in nearly a decade and the 65th driver to do so on his debut.
His result was the best debut by a Japanese since Kamui Kobayashi finished sixth for Toyota in Abu Dhabi in 2009.
Kobayashi also finished ninth on his debut that year but points were only awarded to the top eight at the time.
Japan has never had a F1 race winner, let alone a champion, but Red Bull motor sport consultant Helmut Marko told racefans.net that Tsunoda was "definitely" in the mix for a podium place and could be the sport's breakout driver.
"He's smart and as I said, for 20 years, very mature," he said.
"Soon he will be a new star in Formula. They all like him. He is a charming guy with a sense of humour."
Tsunoda's diminutive figure also makes him an ideal fit for an F1 cockpit. "159(cm) and 61kg, so all designers love him," Marko joked.
REUTERS
