Yuki Tsunoda interview: Four burning questions including VCARB’s future

Ahead of the British Grand Prix, PlanetF1.com sat down with VCARB driver Yuki Tsunoda to discuss a wide range of topics.

As well as a look ahead to the race at Silverstone, PlanetF1.com asked the Japanese driver about a number of topics including; what is is like to work with the VCARB top bosses, how often he thinks about the driver market and about making F1 history.

Yuki Tsunoda speaks to PlanetF1.com

How is it working with Laurent Mekies and Peter Bayer?

Laurent definitely on the engineering side, we have more knowledge about the engineering side and obviously looking after directly each person, each engineer working in the team.

I see similar things between Franz [Tost] and Laurent. They both care about the people around the team itself. We can be really consistently in touch with our conversation about how we’re going to do everything for the next session. So he definitely helped us to get his experience on top of it.

Peter, I think he is mainly focused on, in general teams, the team structure to make it very strong.

In Formula 1, we need sponsorship and I think the moment he joined, he’s been very good at it, the relationships with a sponsor.

Structuring a strong base to increase the performance, both on the partnership side and the performance side.

I would say they’re working very well together. I think Franz was doing both sides, which was very tough on him and it’s good that both Laurent and Peter can focus on their job.

This team has ambitious goals, how hard is it to achieve them?

I think obviously, you need a good car and everything so far we’ve achieved to create, I’ll say, a strong performance from the car. Last year I remember this time last year it was very hard for us, for me, to even get through to Q2, but now I think Q2 is the minimum thing you have to achieve and Q3 most of the time you can achieve.

It’s a very tight field so it gives extra kind of motivation and excitement that you know that if you put it all together that we might jump up two or three positions.

But actually at the same time you have more pressure because in knowing that if you do a poor lap, you might end up in a poor position or a lower position that you wanted to end up so I think it’s been a very tight field and actually giving the pressure on the team side and obviously driver side as well.

The media and fans often speak about the driver market but how often do you as a driver think about it?

You just have to focus on what I can do in terms of my performance. I think if your performance is good, or you know if you’re driving well, those things will automatically come so I don’t really get much pressure or anything.

Before my future was sorted for next year, I was just really focused on my performance and even now as well, I’m just trying to focus on what I can control rather than the things I can’t control and also think about it too much.

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A Japanese driver has never won a race, is that something you think you can achieve?

Obviously, I would like to achieve it one point but, for now, I’m not really thinking about being the first Japanese winner or those things.

Like I said, things like that will come naturally, I would say. So just focus on performance. Trying to keep improving yourself and obviously, one day if I can win a grand prix, for sure, it will be a good impact for Japan.

First thing is I have to achieve the first podium for Japan!

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