French GP: Yuki Tsunoda expecting AlphaTauri upgrades to fire them up the grid

Yuki Tsunoda says that the upgrades AlphaTauri are bringing to the French Grand Prix should see them moving up the grid.

The Japanese driver and his team-mate Pierre Gasly had a race to forget last time out in Austria, with neither able to score any championship points in the Grand Prix.

Indeed, they’ll be looking to rectify that in France as we head into the second half of the season, and Tsunoda is positive that the upgrades the team are bringing to the track this weekend at the French Grand Prix will give them some improved showing on the circuit.

Speaking to the press here at Circuit Paul Ricard, Tsunoda said:

“Hopefully the upgrades will bring us a top three! I’m joking.

“Top seven that’s what I would be happy with. Based on the numbers we’ve got it’ll be around there but you never know how it’ll go.

“Every race track is behaving differently in terms of how it affects the car so hopefully we’ll gain at least three tenths or four tenths compared to previously.”

Yuki certainly seems confident that the car is going to be much-improved this weekend, and that will certainly please both him and team-mate Gasly if that comes to pass.

Of course, other teams are improving all the time as well but it does sound as though there’s going to be progress made by the AlphaTauri cars, with Pierre Gasly saying that he’s hoping to be fighting in the midfield as well in the drivers’ press conference on Thursday.

Ones to watch, then, as we head into the second half of the campaign.