AlphaTauri have confirmed Yuki Tsunoda will retain his seat for the 2023 Formula 1 season, ending speculation about his future.
Tsunoda, who joined the team at the start of last year, has shown glimpses of the talent that caught the eye of the F1 paddock when racing in junior categories but has struggled to consistently perform.
Ad He finished 14th in the championship last season while team-mate Pierre Gasly was ninth. This year he is 16th with six races remaining, having scored points three times, and Gasly is 11th.
Dutch Grand PrixVerstappen takes home victory as Hamilton rages at team for pit-stop call04/09/2022 AT 12:43 “I want to say a huge thank you to Red Bull, Honda and Scuderia AlphaTauri for continuing to give me the opportunity to drive in F1,” said Tsunoda. “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.” Team principal Franz Tost still has faith in Tsunoda and is happy to give Tsunoda a third F1 campaign to see if he can improve. “As we’ve seen since he joined us last year, Yuki is a very talented driver and has improved a lot this season,” explained Tost. “The pace he has shown recently is clear evidence of a steep learning curve, which proves he deserves a seat in F1, and I still expect some strong results from him in the last six races of 2022.