Yuki Tsunoda: “We know there’s some areas we can work on tomorrow”

Yuki Tsunoda says there is room for improvement for Scuderia AlphaTauri this weekend at Spa-Francorchamps after the Japanese racer ended thirteenth fastest in second practice on Friday.

Having ended eighth in the first session that was disrupted by cold temperatures and a red flag, Tsunoda was unable to improve enough to remain inside the top ten in the afternoon, although the weather also did not help there as rain fell across part of the Spa track.

Tsunoda says there are areas where AlphaTauri can focus on to improve overnight, and he hopes he can turn his ‘okay’ Friday into a much better Saturday.

“It’s been an okay day, the conditions weren’t great, but still I think we’ve managed to gather a lot of good data,” said Tsunoda.  “We’ve had some traditional Spa weather here today, with rain in only one section of the track, so it’s been quite tricky, but I like this circuit and I’ve really enjoyed the day.

“After the summer break it was great to just be back out in the car, having fun driving and getting back into the rhythm. In FP2 we made a good step forward, but it wasn’t enough.

“We know there’s some areas we can work on tomorrow to make a bigger improvement for Quali and the race.”

“I think we’ve still managed to gather some good data” – Pierre Gasly

Team-mate Pierre Gasly had only one session in the car after AlphaTauri opted to give Liam Lawson a chance behind the wheel of the AT-03 in the first session, and the Frenchman said he had tried to give the New Zealander some tips prior to his running.

“It felt good to be back driving after the summer break,” said Gasly.  “Liam was obviously in the car for the first session, so I tried to give him a few tips before he headed out and help him where I could.

“It’s a great experience for a young driver, being able to get out in an F1 car for a proper session and I think he really enjoyed it.”

Gasly admitted having just one session himself was far from ideal, but he felt they were still able to learn a lot across the hour – he ultimately ended the day with the fourteenth fastest time.

And Gasly knows he will need to maximise his potential across Saturday and Sunday to be in with a chance of a good result, with at least six drivers taking grid penalties that will see them start at the back of the pack.

“As for my session, it’s not been that easy, having missed FP1, but I think we’ve still managed to gather some good data,” he said.  “We’ve got quite a lot to work on, I’d like to make some changes to the balance ahead of tomorrow, so we’ll review everything tonight and look at the best solutions, but I’m pleased with how the day has gone overall.

“There’s quite a few drivers starting from the back for the race, so for sure we need to try and make the most out of these opportunities and aim to be as far up the grid as possible.”

Pierre Gasly sat out first practice to allow Liam Lawson the chance to drive the AT-03 – Credit: Peter Fox/Getty Images