AlphaTauri rookie Yuki Tsunoda says his diminutive height and weight offer no "big advantage" in terms of aerodynamics or weight distribution.
At just 5ft 2in, Tsunoda is the shortest driver on the 2021 grid and perhaps one of most pint-sized drivers in the history of the sport.
The Japanese charger made a big impression in pre-season testing two weeks ago in Bahrain, concluding his three days of preparation with the second fastest time, just 0.093s behind Red Bull pace setter Max Verstappen.
Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko insists his new protégé is the real deal. But in addition to his outstanding talent, is the featherweight Tsunoda gaining an edge thanks to his pocket-size stature?
"I don’t see it as a big [advantage] in Formula 1 because FIA decided where you have to have the weight distribution, and you can’t choose the place you want to put it," he explained.
"So it meant for weight distribution there’s a tiny bit of an advantage but not much.
"And for aerodynamics, for me I don’t see much [of a] big difference because in Formula 1 especially now, they're made for [big drivers]," he said, referencing is car.
Tsunoda says he worked hard with his team to adjust his height and position in the cockpit of AlphaTauri's AT02.
"First, I have to put a lot of foam inside the monocoque to make my seat position higher to see the view clearly," he said.
"And also, we made a quite special pedal case [for me] to reach the pedals."
The 20-year-old also trained hard physically to prepare himself for his Grand Prix debut, but claims he's ready for the big time.
"I have worked hard on my physical preparation, training every day and focusing on those areas where I saw I needed to be stronger," he commented. "
I am keen to see what happens in this first race. My approach to the season will be to push hard right from the start, building on my experience to find the limits of the car and I hope that, by the mid-season, it all comes together with some good results.
"My team-mate [Pierre Gasly] is very fast and experienced, and I plan to learn as much as possible from him. I am the first Japanese driver to race in Formula 1 since 2014 and I know a lot is expected of me from the Japanese fans, so I will be trying my best to make them happy. I think I’m ready!"
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