F1 News: Yuki Tsunoda is happier after moving to Italy and leaving British weather behind
Yuki Tsunoda has discussed the impact of moving to Italy on his career, outlining his increased happiness and overall work-life balance in Faenza.
The 22-year-old made reasonable steps forward in his second year in Formula 1, reducing his mistakes and competing more closely with his teammate Pierre Gasly.
Highlight performances in Imola and Bahrain are indicative of his ability, although inconsistencies in his driving will still need to be addressed moving forward.
Tsunoda will be expected to further establish himself at AlphaTauri next season and outperform his new teammate Nyck de Vries in the AT04.
Red Bull has several academy drivers in Formula 2 that will be eager to prove themselves worthy of an AlphaTauri seat next year, so Tsunoda must safeguard his future.
It seems likely the Japanese driver can earn an extension if he continues on his current trajectory, though the overall pace of Nyck de Vries is still somewhat unclear.
Regardless, as quoted by gpfans, Tsunoda has discussed the positive impact of moving to Italy on his performances in Formula 1:
"In the UK, the atmosphere there was not as much as I wanted. The weather especially impacted me.
"Weather is quite an important thing for me, and food as well.
"So when I went to Italy, I already felt more energetic, more than usual.
"Then I felt it was a big, important move and was having a good impact on me.
"From then, I started to have a good rhythm when I got to the track, focusing fully on my race. Outside of racing, I was able to reset and rest myself."
Tsunoda will soon embark on a third season with AlphaTauri, which seems well-earned, given his improved performances and the relatively dry spell in the Red Bull academy.
However, this lack of young talent in the Red Bull setup is unlikely to last for long, with the likes of Liam Lawson ready to seize any opportunity.
This means Tsunoda will need to continue making progress over the winter and into 2023.