Yuki Tsunoda expands on the challenges for a Japanese youngster and or anyone outside Europe to get into F1 amid lack of non-European drivers.
F1 and or any other global racing championship has always been dominated by European and or British drivers. It is well known how difficult it is for drivers from elsewhere this region to make it at the big stage. There has been growth over the years, though.
The current F1 grid has eight drivers hailing from non-European and or British region which includes couple who have spent a good time in Europe. Visa Cash App RB’s Tsunoda is one of the drivers hailing from Japan and only the 21st from his country.
It isn’t easy for the likes of Tsunoda to make it in F1. There is not just the question of traveling to Europe but in Japan, a youngster can’t drive a single-seater car until he has attained the age of 16-years, which sets them back when coming through.
“First of all, very far away from Europe,” started Tsunoda. “And I think mainly you want to race in Europe in junior categories to get a Super Licence, I would say. And to be close as much as possible to the Formula 1 teams, to get attention, I would say, to get interest. Also, I would say a little bit different regulation.
“I don’t know, but in Europe and Japan, there’s a bit of regulation difference in terms of like the age you can start single-seater. In Japan, you can start from 16 years old, from birth date. And I think in Europe, drivers, they can start from 14 years old. So there’s a bit of… two years difference, and that creates that, you know, already kind of a late start.
“So that’s why, and you have to go to Europe kind of to race and to compete against the Europe drivers, so that probably makes it a little bit difficult. And obviously, the language as well. Japanese don’t speak as much good English, like me. So it’s hard to communicate well and tell what you want specifically from the car set-up, for example.
“These things will take a little bit of time. And, you know, you want to have straightaway good confidence in F3 already because you have only one free practice and straight into qualifying. So those makes it, I think, difficult, yeah. I hope so [I can inspire more]. We’ve seen already a lot of Japanese drivers driving already in Formula 2.
“This as well is other Japanese drivers from actually different manufacturers, like Toyota. But yeah, I think it’s good to see a lot of drivers start to challenge in the Europe races and to get our best opportunity as much as possible. But yeah, at the same time, yeah, it’s good to see for sure. And hopefully we can see another driver,” summed up Tsunoda.
His former teammate and current Alpine driver Pierre Gasly had his say as well, concurring what Tsunoda said. “I think Yuki explained it very well,” he said. “I think it’s, mainly all the categories are in Europe, when you’re based in Japan, we see more Japanese drivers coming over to Europe, racing in Formula 3, Formula 2.
“When you look back, you still had, you know, Takuma Sato, Nakajima, Yuki. You could say the same thing about American drivers, which is, you know, a massive country, and still we haven’t had many Americans here in Formula 1. So I think, some of it is just that mainly all the racing is in Europe and going up the ladder, you need to be here to be exactly for the reasons that Yuki mentioned earlier.”
Here’s Christian Horner, Helmut Marko on Yuki Tsunoda
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