F1 News: Yuki Tsunoda expected to take another step forward in 2023
AlphaTauri's team principal - Franz Tost - has outlined the standards Yuki Tsunoda will be expected to reach in his third season with the team.
Tsunoda's 2022 campaign marked a notable improvement from his first season in Formula 1, as the Japanese driver cut down on unforced errors and closed the gap to Pierre Gasly.
Gasly still enjoyed a slight advantage over Tsunoda in qualifying and race pace, but the difference in performance between the two drivers was significantly reduced.
Mistakes were still a limiting factor for the 22-year-old - as evidenced by his costly collision with his teammate in Silverstone, which cost AlphaTauri crucial points.
Still, the unreliability of the AT03 was equally detrimental to Tsunoda's final points tally, with mechanical issues in Saudi Arabia and Baku proving especially untimely.
Considering the performances of Red Bull's junior drivers in Formula 2 this year - alongside Gasly's departure - Tsunoda seems deserving of another season in Formula 1.
However, with De Vries joining AlphaTauri for the 2023 season, Tsunoda must take another step and establish himself as the lead driver in the team.
As quoted by Speedweek, team principal Franz Tost analysed AlphaTauri's season and set out his targets for Yuki Tsunoda:
"The car wasn't good enough. We had problems with further development, which also had to do with the budget cap because we thought we were over it before the FIA gave the all-clear.
"But development already slowed down, so the performance remained below expectations.
"Yuki Tsunoda has developed reasonably well, [he] was able to improve and was faster than Pierre Gasly in the last qualifications.
"How much he can still improve will depend solely on him. I am already expecting a strong 2023 from him."
There is no denying that Tsunoda has made progress since his debut in Formula 1, but there are still elements of his driving that need to be polished.
Tsunoda has recognised the need to improve and address his weaknesses in 2023, no doubt eager to further establish himself in the sport next season.