‘Emotional control’ driving sunny Yuki Tsunoda to blossom in Formula One

BARCELONA – Yuki Tsunoda used to be known for his four-letter word outbursts on the team radio – this season it is for his controlled mastery of four wheels.

The likeable Japanese Formula One driver would once rant and rave at perceived injustices out on track, but nowadays, he is calmness personified. Almost.

This new self-control is paying off handsomely with his points tally for 2024 already at 19, two more than the whole of last season, with 15 races still to go. Chatting cheerily at his RB team garage ahead of this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, Tsunoda’s sunny outlook lit up the damp day on June 20.

“I’m happy with my progress. Sometimes I do have to think before pressing the radio button in the car, like when there’s traffic,” the 24-year-old said.

“I have to force myself to calm down, but the emotional control is coming more naturally, or I’m just in silence. For sure, I’m on the right path. But you can’t just shut up all the time, you still need feedback!”

He added that his teammate Daniel Ricciardo has played a key role in his personal development, which has been rewarded by his Red Bull employers handing him a contract extension until at least the end of 2025.

“Daniel is the more complete driver, with emotional control, he’s very strong on that,” said Tsunoda.

“I started in a pretty bad position. I started to learn why he’s doing much better than me, he’s helped me become more consistent throughout the year. With Daniel, it’s working really well, we have a relationship on and off track.”

Tsunoda’s boss, RB team principal Laurent Mekies, is excited about the giant strides the Italian-based Japanese driver has taken on his F1 journey.

“What Yuki has done now in his fourth year – you expect these steps to come early in the career, but on his fourth year, to (still be able to) make such a huge leap is credit to him,” he said.

“If you were asking us what is stopping us from sleeping right now, it would be the responsibility in trying to make sure Yuki has the right environment. There may be a lot more to come, and that would put him on a crazy trajectory.”

Another factor in Tsunoda’s emerging maturity was his decision to base himself near the RB factory in Faenza in Italy.

“I’ve lived in Italy for 2½ years now, the town itself is more like home, rather than a place where I’m living to be near the team,” he said.

“Most of the team members live close by, we have good conversation, a good relationship. So this kind of stuff is definitely positive.”

Tsunoda has five top-10 finishes this season, and has scored points in five of the past seven races. While he is not expected to win in Spain, the sky is the limit for the Japanese.

Like his home country’s famous cherry trees in spring, he is blossoming. AFP