Japanese rookie Tsunoda vows to attack in F1 debut

Mar 18, 2021 | News On Japan

Mar 18, 2021 (Japan Today) - Japanese Formula One rookie Yuki Tsunoda plans to throw caution to the wind when he makes his race debut next week in Bahrain, vowing to "give everything" in the season-opener.

New AlphaTauri recruit Tsunoda outperformed his hero Lewis Hamilton and a host of others to clock the second-best time in preseason testing last week, beaten only by Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

And the 20-year-old doesn't plan to let up when he makes his Formula One debut in Bahrain on March 28, promising to attack even if his mistakes ending up costing him.

"I just want to give everything I've got in my performance," Tsunoda, who replaced Russian Daniil Kvyat at AlphaTauri, said during an online press conference on Wednesday. "I want to push from the start. I don't want to worry about making mistakes. I just want to go for it and attack."

Tsunoda set his best time of 1 minute, 29.053 seconds from 91 laps on Sunday during the three-day test session at Sakhir, the venue for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

That was quicker than seven-time world champion Hamilton, who was fifth-fastest overall in the all-conquering Mercedes.

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