Yuki Tsunoda: I relearned the traffic rules twelve times

It seemed to the journalists of the official website of the championship that during standard press conferences and interviews with drivers it is rarely possible to find out about the character and interests of Formula 1 heroes. They decided to correct this omission and were the first to invite Yuki Tsunoda, the Japanese Visa RB driver, out for an intimate conversation.

Q: Can you somehow describe yourself in three words?
Yuki Tsunoda: Ooh, describe yourself. Well, fine: I like food, I like all kinds of active activities… You have set a difficult task… And I sing well too!

Question: How did you come to fall in love with Formula 1?
Yuki Tsunoda: To be honest, I’m still not sure if I like Formula 1 at all. I like racing. But since we are talking about Formula 1, it should be noted that I like this speed. There are also excellent guest areas and a great atmosphere in the paddock.

I think I love our team and I love that our sport is about teamwork. From the outside it looks like the racers are competing here, but in reality everything depends on their teams.

Question: When did you drive a car for the first time in your life and when did you pass your driving test?
Yuki Tsunoda: Good question. As far as I remember, in Japan you can drive a car from the age of 20. I started driving when I was 19. Anyway, my birthday was coming up, and three months before that I went to driving school.

I took my driving test on regular roads and my teacher was my passenger. I didn’t notice the red traffic light, which hadn’t gone out yet, but for some reason I ignored it. I don’t even know why. But everything went badly with the traffic rules exam; I did it again twelve times.

Question: But did you pass your driving test for the second time?
Yuki Tsunoda: Yes, then I transferred everything, including parking.

Question: Who is your best friend in the paddock and who is outside the paddock?
Yuki Tsunoda: I would say: Pierre Gasly. Pierre is a great guy, he was a good teammate of mine. He and I recently had a fun time in Dubai. Outside the paddock I am friends with the Japanese driver Kazuto Kotaka. He is like a brother to me. We have been friends since childhood, three or four years old. He’s a year older than me, so we never had the chance to race together, he always raced in categories that were one step higher.

Question: Which Formula 1 hero, past or present, would you invite to dinner and why?
Yuki Tsunoda: From the past… I don’t know the history of Formula 1 well, I don’t know the drivers from those years well. Who was the hero of the movie “Race”?

Q: Are you talking about James Hunt?
Yuki Tsunoda: Exactly, I would invite James Hunt!

Q: How about two more people from the modern Formula 1 paddock?
Yuki Tsunoda: Hard to say. However, I would definitely call Daniel Ricciardo. And also Alex Albon and Lando Norris. I would have called Pierre too. I understand that this is already four people, but still…

Q: If you were to go on vacation with one of the championship drivers, who would it be?
Yuki Tsunoda: Maybe Sergio Perez! He is well versed in Mexican cuisine, and I would like to study it. I’ve been into Mexican food lately, so I want him to show me good restaurants.

Question: If you could put together a musical group from the racers, who would you invite, and what would the group be called?
Yuki Tsunoda: Mmmmm… In my group everyone will have a mustache. That’s right, let’s call it Mustache Dreamers! When we go to Texas for the US Grand Prix, Daniel Ricciardo usually grows a huge mustache!

Question: Does that mustache make him the frontman?
Yuki Tsunoda: He sings all the time while driving, so we will make him a singer. Although I’m not sure if he can sing rock or heavy metal. Kevin Magnussen also has a great mustache, although I don’t know if he can play anything. I think he can handle the role of drummer. Who else has a mustache?

Question: Maybe Valtteri Bottas?
Yuki Tsunoda: That’s right, let’s take Valtteri! He will be our guitarist. Who else? Pierre also wears a mustache, but it doesn’t quite fit my style, at least not the style of my rock band. Unfortunately.

Question: Let’s create a menu with your favorite dishes?
Yuki Tsunoda: A very difficult question. Let’s say we start with tacos, but I would also put pasta on the menu, for example with seafood. Let it be lobster pasta. And as a main course you can serve something from Japanese cuisine. For example, Wagyu steak.

Q: What’s the strangest gift you’ve received from fans?
Yuki Tsunoda: Can I tell you about my favorite gifts? Last year I received interesting letters from a young fan, and a boy from Australia sent me very nice drawings.

Question: What is your proudest achievement in Formula 1?
Yuki Tsunoda: For example, I can mention last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix or the qualifying for it. I then showed the 6th fastest time, although I could not stay in 6th position in the race. If I had succeeded, our team might have achieved seventh place in the Constructors’ Championship. It was a good race, the last one when Franz Tost was still team leader.

Question: What would you like to be doing in five years?
Yuki Tsunoda: In any case, I want to have the opportunity to fight for the world title in five years’ time.