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AlphaTauri team boss Franz Tost admitted some young drivers struggle with driving a Formula 1 car to start with, after Yuki Tsunoda said he has been working on his fitness ahead of the new season.

The Japanese driver admitted previously that he was “20% surprised” to keep his seat after a tricky first year in the sport, in which he was soundly beaten by Pierre Gasly within AlphaTauri, although his results did pick up towards the end of the season.

Tsunoda spoke after 2021 concluded and said he would prioritise becoming fitter and stronger over the course of the off-season, as he looks to show his competitiveness this time around.

But Tost, who has earned a reputation as being an excellent mentor for young drivers entering the sport, says the problem of adapting quickly and responding to “unexpected or unusual” occurrences in their debut season is far from uncommon, not least driving the cars themselves.

“It’s not only Yuki who underestimates how physical it is to drive a Formula 1 car,” Tost told reporters in Barcelona.

“It’s really for all the young drivers when they [drive for] the first time in a Formula 1 car, because this is another dimension.

“I always tell them when they come to Formula 1 ‘now your real hard work will start. Everything you did before