Tost expects Honda-junior Tsunoda to join AlphaTauri "sooner than later"

AlphaTauri

Tost expects Honda-junior Tsunoda to join AlphaTauri "sooner than later"

Tsunoda is backed by both Honda and Red Bull

Sam Hall

Sunday 23 August 2020 14:04

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AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost has labelled Yuki Tsunoda a "fantastic driver" and expects the Japanese driver to transition to Formula 1 "sooner than later".

Tsunoda is competing with the Carlin team in his rookie Formula 2 campaign and the 20-year-old Japanese driver currently sits fourth in the standings.

He has three podiums to his name and, following a break through win in the sprint race on the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix weekend, Tsunoda scored a brace of fourth place finishes in Spain.

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Given the high level of speculation surrounding Mick Schumacher, who sits fifth in the standings, making the step up to F1, Tost could understand why the chances of Tsunoda gaining a promotion are being talked up.

Tost said: “First of all, Red Bull and Honda are supporting Tsunoda because he is a fantastic driver. He is really a talented driver, very highly skilled, and he showed this in Formula 3 last year, he showed this [in F2] this year year. “I remember back in the race in Austria in the wet conditions when he was leading the race but the unfortunately, because of some radio problems he came in for the tyre stop too late and finished second.

“I expect him sooner than later in a car from AlphaTauri of course.”

Of the two current AlphaTauri drivers, it is likely Daniil Kvyat would be the driver to make way for Tsunoda.

With just two points from the opening six races of 2020 compared to the 14 of team-mate Pierre Gasly, the Russian driver knows he needs to step up his performances if he is to keep his drive.

Entering the sport with Toro Rosso in 2014, Kvyat was relegated back to the outfit from Red Bull in 2016 and was dropped from the F1 programme altogether for 2018 before returning in 2019.

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