Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda had a race to remember as he was one of the last drivers to pit and found himself leading the grand prix after 19 laps. The Japanese driver would eventually finish in eighth place and was voted the driver of the day, while teammate Daniel Ricciardo was just outside the points as he came 11th.
Daniel Ricciardo
It wasn’t a bad race. We had a decent pace, but it’s hard as soon as you get into a little dirty air. Just like today, there have been a couple of races where, if we had one more lap, we could’ve gotten a few more points, but starting further back slightly put us on the back foot. It’s good that Yuki got some points, but we needed a little more, so it would’ve been nice if I could’ve scored some, too. Part of me is happy to take a break to prepare for an entire season, but I would also like to continue racing. Having a proper off-season and knowing I want to be here is exciting. I was happy with the races I’ve done.
Shoutout to Franz. He’s been a big part of the Team and played a significant role early in my career. It was nice to be able to spend his last races together. I wish him well and know the whole Team will miss him. Even today, everyone is celebrating him, and all he wanted to do was go racing, so it shows the person he is. I hope he enjoys his time away from the track as much as he enjoyed it, racing week after week with the same fantastic passion.
Yuki Tsunoda
Thanks to everyone for voting me Driver of the Day. It was a tough race. At one point, we could finish in the top six. It didn’t work, but we don’t regret staying out and trying the one-stop strategy. I gave it my all, and I’m happy with myself. It was an enjoyable season overall. We struggled with car performance at the start, but we were able to step it up throughout the season. Although we didn’t achieve P7 in the Constructors’ Championship, we improved from P10 to P8 in the final part of the season, all thanks to the Team in Bicester and Faenza. At the same time, I made mistakes that cost us, especially in Mexico—well done to Williams. They deserve it, and I enjoyed the battle we had. Thank you to Franz. I enjoyed the last three years, and I will miss him. Without his advice on improving, I wouldn’t have been able to progress as much in my Formula 1 career. I appreciate him, and I know we’ll keep in touch.
FRANZ TOST – Team Principal
We started with Yuki in the sixth position and with Daniel in P15. Both had a good start and lost no places on the first lap. We split our cars on the strategy side, opting for a one-stop with Yuki and a two-stop for Daniel. Ultimately, it was the wrong decision because I think with a two-stop strategy, we could’ve finished P6 or at least P7 with Yuki, as he was faster than other competitors that overtook him in the final laps. Therefore, we ended the season in P8 in the Constructors’ Championship, and of course, it wasn’t enjoyable because our target was to finish P7. There are still some positives to take on the aerodynamic side, as the new floor worked quite well, which is a good indication for next year’s car.
As this was my last race, I want to take the opportunity to thank all the Formula 1 fans for their support, the FIA, FOM, all the Formula 1 teams, Honda, Pirelli, and everyone with whom we had good cooperation over the last 18 years, and my Team and all the drivers I was lucky enough to work with. I wish them all a successful future.
Scuderia AlphaTauri Team best pictures:
