PARIS —
Yuki Tsunoda said
the Alpha Tauri car for the 2022 Formula One season "looks great" and
the Japanese driver hopes it propels him to improve on his points haul of 32
last year.
اضافة اعلان
The 21-year-old was overshadowed by
team-mate Pierre Gasly, who collected 110 points in Alpha Tauri's best season.
Speaking as the team unveiled their car for
the upcoming season, Tsunoda said he was looking forward to taking it out onto
the Barcelona track next week for the first time in testing.
Among the new modifications following rule
changes for the upcoming season are 18 inch tires as opposed to 13 inches and
alterations in the shape of the car.
"It really does look great," said
Tsunoda in a team press release.
"Of course we've not seen the real car
on track yet, but the new shape and design (including new blue and white
livery) are really cool."
Tsunoda finished 2021 with his best result
of the campaign with fourth in the final race the
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
He wants to use that as a springboard for
the 2022 season.
"I want to improve my pace and the
consistency in the way I drive," he said.
"I know what I have to do to achieve
that.
"If I can work the way I did at the
last three or four races of last year, that will be a good way to start. It
won't be easy, but I am confident that I can achieve that."
Tsunoda said the change in the tires will
not affect him and he's tested the new model in a simulator.
"The car generally feels a lot sharper,
with sharper movement and over a long run, the bigger wheels give you a
completely different feel," he said.
"I've experienced this feeling before,
because when I raced in Formula 2, we made the same switch to 18 inches and I
felt the same difference there."
Gasly said he loved the look of the new
model.
"This year sees a huge change to the
car as, due to the new regulations, the look and design is completely
different, so the team has had to start from a clean sheet of paper," said
the 26-year-old Frenchman.
Gasly — whose best showing last term was
third in the Azerbaijan GP — says he hopes to be fighting at the front of the
pack throughout the season.
"I will be trying to build on the run I
had of very good results and to continue to be on top of my game with the car I
have," he said.
"I really hope that this is a year when
I can fight at the very front, to finish regularly in the top five and even
higher if the car is good enough for that."
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