Tsunoda relying on new home sim to 'sharpen up' driving

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AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda says he is now partly relying on a home simulator to help him learn new tracks and "sharpen up" his driving.

Tsunoda's rookie season in Formula 1 has been a bumpy ride so far, with a strong start and points in Bahrain followed by inconsistent performances and a string of crashes.

Yet, the 21-year-old has been handed a second season alongside teammate Pierre Gasly with Red Bull's second team, an extension of his tenure in F1 that even surprised the young Japanese charger given his low-key results during the first half of his maiden campaign.

F1 teams move on to Turkey this week, which is an unfamiliar venue for Tsunoda. But the AlphaTauri driver hopes his recent investment in his sim rig will help optimize his preparations.

Read also: Never any doubts about Tsunoda contract extension - Tost

"I now have a home simulator that I can use, so I’ve been doing a lot of laps!", Tsunoda explained.

"Of course, it’s not quite the same as being in the full-scale sim at Red Bull, which is not like the real thing, but it is the most realistic one I have ever used.

"The main benefit of the sim is learning about the track and sharpening up my driving.

"I can also review something that happened in the previous race or I can practice some particular piece of driving.

"Having the simulator at home now is useful and I can also discuss what I am doing on it with my engineer and simulate a race weekend from FP1 to Qualifying, based on plans made by the engineer for me to use, so we can work on it together."

Last spring, Tsunoda was ordered by Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko to migrate from Milton Keynes to Faenza to bring himself closer to his AlphaTauri squad and improve his interaction with the team.

The young gun feels the change has been productive, but admits that he needs to improve his pace while keeping it on the track in all sessions and on race day.

"The last five races I was pretty consistent, but the performance and pace was not so good," he said.

"So this weekend I think I will try and dial it up a little bit more to be more competitive.

"Assuming it is dry, this looks like being a physically demanding track with corners like Turn 8. So, it will be tough, but I am looking forward to it."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.