Nick de Vries: I’ve never been to Australia

AlphaTauri drivers Nick de Vries and Yuki Tsunoda spoke about the preparations for the Australian Grand Prix and the expectations for the race weekend in Melbourne.

Nick deVries: “If I remember the stage in Saudi Arabia, it is clear that I was not satisfied with the result, but I am happy with the progress made. I believe the first two race weekends showed strengths and weaknesses, and in Saudi Arabia we looked better, although missing the third practice session didn’t help me.

After the finish I critically assessed my race as I need to improve on a number of points. You should be more aggressive at the start and restart, but I spent the last stretch feeling confident. Of course you can find a million excuses in your defense, but I look at myself and see that we are making progress with the team.

We at AlphaTauri are smart enough to be realistic and know we can’t compete for race wins, but we are looking for our own little championship wins. The team wants to go higher, get stronger and fight for points – we will continue to work towards this goal. Whatever the position of the team, the work attitude does not change – the dedication and desire for success have not disappeared.

We will be bringing car upgrades to Australia but it’s hard to say what effect they will have as the rest of the teams are also moving and developing. It’s an ongoing process, but I hope we can get more competitive in the middle group, but we won’t know before qualifying. Obviously we need more downforce – we’ll see what the updates bring.

After Saudi Arabia I worked on the simulator for two days in preparation for Australia. I think such work helps with preparation, so I like to spend time in the simulator. It is also always nice to practice to improve your flying technique.

I’ve never been to Melbourne and Australia so a new experience awaits me. I remember watching broadcasts as a kid from Melbourne where the first race of the season was held. I woke up early in the morning to watch qualifying and the race.

It’s great that after so many years I’m going to Melbourne to participate in the race myself. Everyone tells me it’s a great city and now I want to see it for myself.”

Yuki Tsunoda: “I was disappointed with another eleventh place in Saudi Arabia after the same result in Bahrain – I was so close to earning points. Overall the track in Jeddah suited our car better than Sakhir, and the team did a great job with the settings, and we took a step forward at a race pace.

I am satisfied with my race and the fight for points, as well as the team’s work. We know that the car has limitations, which become noticeable when competing against rivals. We’re missing maximum speed on the straights, so I’m pretty happy that I was able to stay behind Kevin Magnussen in the battle for tenth until the last four laps. I liked the fight – it was fun.

This weekend I will be performing in Melbourne for the second time. Last week I worked on the simulator – we evaluated a few moments of the race in Jeddah and the problems that could not be clarified on the track, as well as the settings, then switched to preparing for the next race and track.

We will have several updates to the machine so it is important to give the team effective feedback on their work. If they work, I hope we can get the most out of the car and fight for points again.

My weekend in Melbourne was not so good last year, but I enjoyed the experience of going to Australia and the city itself, and there was a nice atmosphere on the track. This year I flew in early to work off the jet lag and acclimatize. In addition, I want to walk through the city, lie on the beach for a few days and then get to work.”