Tsunoda: I gave it my all and I’m happy with my work

The AphaTauri team fell just three points short of ahead of Williams in the Constructors’ Championship, but Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo were pleased with their performances in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Yuki Tsunoda (8th): “Thank you to everyone who voted and chose me as “Rider of the Day”! The race was tough, but at one point I thought we could finish in the top six. It didn’t work out, but we don’t regret staying on track for a long time and trying to put the one pit stop tactic into practice.

I gave it my all and am happy with my work. Overall it was an interesting season, although initially we had problems due to the car’s lack of efficiency, but over the year we were able to take a step forward.

Although we failed to finish seventh in the Constructors’ Championship, we were able to move from tenth to eighth in the final stages of the season, all thanks to the work of the team at our bases in Bicester and Faenza.

At the same time, I made some mistakes and they cost us a lot, especially in Mexico City. But Williams can be congratulated, they deserve it, and competing with them gave me pleasure.

I would like to thank Franz Tost; I have enjoyed working with him during these three years and I am sure I will miss him. Without his advice on how to work on myself, I wouldn’t have been able to make as much progress. I appreciate him very much, and of course we will continue to communicate.”

Daniel Ricciardo (11th): “The race can’t be called bad – it went well, but as soon as I got into the turbulence zone behind the rivals’ cars, the problems started. There were a few other races similar to today where it seemed that if the distance had been at least a lap longer we could have scored more points, but when you start from further away positions your task becomes more difficult.

It’s good that Yuki earned a few points, but we still needed a few more and it would be nice if I could get into the top ten too.

Part of me is happy that there will be a break so I can prepare for a full season in Formula 1, but at the same time I want to keep racing. However, it’s great that I have a normal offseason ahead of me, and I’m sure I want to stay with the team. I am happy with the races I have driven for AlphaTauri

Thanks Franz! He means a lot to the team and of course he played an important role in my career. It was nice to have a few more races together. I wish him all the best and know he will be greatly missed by the entire team.

Even today, when everyone congratulated him, he only wanted one thing: to run the race, and this shows what kind of person he is. I hope he can enjoy his time off the track as much as he enjoys racing!”

Franz Tost, team leader: “Yuki started from 6th position, Daniel – from 15th. Both had a good start and did not lose any positions on the first lap. We decided to split the tactics, in Yuki’s case we gambled on one pit stop and Daniel visited the pits twice.

In the end it turned out to be the wrong decision, because I think that thanks to the two-stop tactic, Yuki could have finished 6th or at least 7th, because he was faster than his opponents in the last laps.

So we finished the season in 8th place in the Constructors’ Championship and of course we are angry, as our target was 7th. But if we talk about the aerodynamics of the car, then there are positive aspects, as the new underbody worked effectively on the AT04, and this is a good sign for next year.

As this was my last race, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all Formula 1 fans for their support, the FIA, the FOM, all the championship teams, Honda, Pirelli and indeed everyone with whom we have worked successfully over the past period . previous 18 years.

Of course I was lucky to work with my team and with all the riders who fought for it. I wish everyone a successful future!”