Opinion: Is it Make or Break for Yuki Tsunoda in 2023?

The 2023 Formula One season is looking to be quite an important one for Alpha Tauri driver; Yuki Tsunoda, as he starts his third season in the motorsport series. And, after a difficult start to his F1 career, could this be the one season that makes or breaks the Japanese driver?

Tsunoda started karting in 2010 and has been associated with the Honda Formula Dream Project since 2016 before joining the Red Bull Junior Team for the 2018-2019 season and beyond. This coincided with Honda teaming up with the Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso - now Alpha Tauri F1 teams. And, after a 3rd place finish in the 2020 Formula 2 Championship, Tsunoda bagged himself a seat at the newly named Alpha Tauri F1 Team for the following year replacing departing driver; Daniil Kvyat. On his debut, Tsunoda scored points, finishing in ninth position at the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix. Ross Brawn, F1’s Technical Director, described the young driver from Japan as “F1’s best rookie for years.” Tsunoda went onto finish the season in 14th place. His teammate, Pierre Gasly, in 9th. Both drivers were retained by the team for 2022.

During 2022, Tsunoda went through a streak of twelve pointless races with numerous crashes, incidents and mechanical issues. After a disappointing season, Tsunoda finished towards the back of the championship in 17th place with only 12 points. Luckily for Yuki, the Alpha Tauri team was willing to give him another season - the one that I believe will make him or break him as an F1 driver.

But why do I think that? Well, it’s simple. Tsunoda is a Red Bull Junior and Red Bull are notoriously well-known for the pressure they put their drivers under. If they don't perform, they're out. Also, looking back, if past trends are to go by, the junior drivers get on average of two seasons at Alpha Tauri, or Toro Rosso - as it was once known, and, with Tsunoda entering his third; it’s crunch time.

One of the first obstacles Tsunoda is facing in 2023 is his new teammate; Nyck de Vries. De Vries is an older and seasoned racing driver with numerous championships, including Formula 2 and Formula E, under his belt. And, although Alpha Tauri’s appointment of de Vries may be exciting to F1 fans, Tsunoda may not be feeling quite the same. As the more experienced F1 driver, he is expected to beat de Vries and lead the team; something he demonstrated well at the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix when he finished just outside the points in 11th compared to de Vries' 14th place. However, is 11th good enough in Red Bull's eyes? I expect not.

And, it's not just de Vries that Tsunoda has to be better than. He has to be better than the other Red Bull Juniors, such as Liam Lawson, Dennis Hauger, Zane Maloney etc, that are waiting in the wings. And, with Alpha Tauri being Red Bull's younger sister team, there's only so much time that Tsunoda has to prove that he his more than a midfield driver. Something he'll need to do quickly if he's to stay, not just with the Red Bull family but, quite possible in F1 as a whole.

Another factor that Tsunoda needs to think about this year is his current contract which ends at the end of the 2023 season. If he wants to extend this or move to a different team, again he needs to prove what he is capable of. He needs to limit his crashes that plagued him in 2022, costing Alpha Tauri millions. He needs to be on par or faster than his teammate and he needs to become a consistent point scorer. It's the little things that people will notice.

The final obstacle is Honda. They helped Yuki get to where he is now and if they weren't working alongside Red Bull to produce this year's powertrain, I don't think I'd be overly confident to say he would be in F1 for 2023. Despite this, Honda and Red Bull plan on working side by side until 2025 but with the Japanese manufacture's departure imminent in the next couple of years, it may not be enough to save Tsunoda's career this time around. In short, Tsunoda needs to up his game majorly if he wants to stay in Formula One.

So, there we have it. It is indeed pretty much make or break for young Yuki this year and with a lot up against him, he HAS to perform and make the most out of what he can.

In my opinion, it would be such a shame to loose Tsunoda from the sport. He has proven time again that he is capable just not consistent and that is what he needs to work on. Am I confident he can turn it all around? Who knows. There's a very long season of Formula One out there waiting for us. Anything can happen.

Race Report: Bahrain 2023

Well, there we have it folks. The first round of the 2023 Formula One season is complete and, I think it's fair to say that we all could have easily predicted the outcome. And, although this race was not as exciting as the ones F1 has bestowed upon us in recent times, it was, in fact, a gentle and mediocre introduction to what the season ahead has in store. So, without further a do, keep reading on for a recap of the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix.

As Crofty always says, "it's lights out and away we go." It was Max Verstappen starting on pole alongside his Red Bull teammate; Sergio Perez. And, with the former getting a near perfect start, Perez struggled off the line with the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc sneaking up into second. Carlos Sainz, in the second Ferrari, was unable to follow his teammate through and settled into the race in fourth position.

Although a relatively clean opening lap, the two Aston Martins of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll touched when Stroll clipped Alonso's rear which resulted in the Spaniard dropping two places from fifth to seventh. Luckily for him, no damage was reported. Both Mercedes took advantage of the Aston squabble and moved up the field, gaining a place each. Replays back also show that it wasn't just the Astons getting into a spot a bother. Nico Hulkenburg, in the Haas, lost part of his front wing when he rear ended one of the Alpines. Ironically, both incidents were very similar.

Onto Lap 6 and Perez, now in the DRS zone, was finally starting to come back at Leclerc. And, things were looking even more racy towards the midfield. After his earlier incident, Alonso was catching George Russell and Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes. Whereas both Williams drivers found themselves battling with the McLaren of Lando Norris. On Lap 8, there was slight concern down at Alpha Tauri after Yuki Tsunoda radioed in that he had a tear off strip stuck in his left sidepod. Nothing more was heard about that for the rest of the race.

Towards the end of the first 10 laps, drivers were starting to struggle with the tyres. Russell was told over team radio that his teammate, Hamilton, ahead of him was one of these drivers. Just moments later, Pierre Gasly, also struggling, made the first pitstop in 2023 for Alpine. And, it wasn't just tyres some drivers were struggling with. Norris started to experience engine problems on Lap 11 and during his pitstop, the McLaren team had to fill up his pneumatic air system - an issue that would trouble him for the rest of the race.

There was more action on Lap 12 when the official pit window opened and many decided to dive into the pits. The majority of drivers switched from the soft tyres to the hards. All bar Alex Albon, in the Williams, who put on another set of softs. Elsewhere, McLaren's misery continued on Lap 14 when they made the decision to retire Oscar Piastri from the race. A few laps passes and Norris is back in for another refill of air. Back out on track, Alpine's Esteban Ocon is given a 5-second penalty for being in the wrong position on the starting grid. After serving his 5-second penalty, things got worse for Ocon who is handed another penalty. This time it's 10-seconds, for serving his 5-second one incorrectly.

Back at the front of the grid, Verstappen is cruising away from the field nicely and on Lap 26, his teammate finally passes Leclerc for 2nd. Red Bull are back to the 1-2 they started the race with and, that's no surprise as both of their drivers are racing on softs. Elsewhere, Hamilton is told to pick up the pace as a charging Fernando Alonso is battling his way through the field. But, it's still doom and gloom for Ocon who is handed his third penalty of the race. His crime this time? Speeding down the pitlane.

Lap 30 and the second round of pitstops begin with Hamilton trying to avoid an undercut by Alonso. However, on Lap 35 it's Alonso's turn for new rubber. He come's out behind Hamilton and after a fantastic battle between the two, Alonso passes him for good on Lap 39.

Suddenly, on Lap 41, things go drastically wrong for Ferrari when Leclerc looses power and is out of the race. A Virtual Safety Car is put out while marshals recover his car. After one lap, the track is green once again. But still, it's the second Ferrari of Sainz now in the spotlight as he is Alonso's new target. And, on Lap 46, Sainz, with severe tyre deg, yields his podium spot to his fellow countryman. Alonso was now in a podium position. Poor Sainz was now in 4th with Hamilton coming from behind. During the Alonso/Sainz battle, Ocon decides to call it a day and retires the car. Stroll, who has had a relatively quiet race, goes wide on the exit of Turn 10 on Lap 53. Russell takes advantage of this and nabs 6th from the Canadian driver.

Two laps away from the chequered flag and it's still a Red Bull 1-2. Hamilton seems to have given up all hopes on catching Carlos Sainz and drops back at least 2 seconds.

Lap 57, the final lap, is quick to come around and Verstappen takes the flag. He has dominated the whole the race, as everyone expected. Perez finishes 2nd. Another Red Bull 1-2. And,making up the podium places in 3rd is Fernando Alonso for Aston Martin. A podium that has been coming for some time.

Other point finishers are Carlos Sainz in 4th, 5th is Lewis Hamilton, Lance Stroll is 6th with George Russell in 7th. Alfa Romeo and Valtteri Bottas finished in 8th, Pierre Gasly was 9th and the final points place went to Alex Albon in the Williams.

So, there we have it. The first race is done with Verstappen and Red Bull continuing where they left off last season. Aston Martin, especially Alonso are looking good. Could they be regular podium sitters? Elsewhere, Ferrari and Mercedes seem to be way off where they want to be and as for McLaren. Well. It's not looking good.

Anyway, it's time to rest for two weeks now until we go again in Saudi Arabia.

Time For Some F1 2023 Predictions!

We've done it, guys. We've made it through yet another F1 Winter Break. Cars have been revealed and testing is done, which means only one thing - this weekend the racing returns and I don't know about you but I am very hyped for this up and coming season.

Towards the end of last year, I wrote a post about five things I'd like to see happen during the 2023 season. And, although they were just five mere hopes and dreams, it has inspired me to make some more realistic predictions for this Formula One season.

So, what predictions am I going to make exactly? Keep reading to find out!

Max Verstappen Third World Drivers Championship

I think this predicition is pretty self-explanatory. Verstappen is the current reigning champion and he and Red Bull looked extremely strong during testing. For the first time in his career, Verstappen is the out right favourite for the season and I think it will be quite a surprise if someone beats him to this year's crown.

Fernando Alonso Podium

Surely this is coming. With 21 seasons and two World Championships under his belt, Alonso is more than capable of finishing on the podium. However, since leaving Ferrari in 2014, Alonso hasn't had the right machinery underneath him to compete at the front of the field. In 2022, we got glimpses of what he can still do when he started on the front row, in an Alpine, for the Canadian Grand Prix. Testing for this upcoming season has also been relatively positive for Alonso and the Aston Martin team with Alonso, himself, stating that their race pace could be quicker than Ferrari's. If this is the case, then surely Alonso will appear on the podium at some point this year.

Teammate Rivalry

Ok, let's be honest, we all love an F1 rilvary. Verstappen v Hamilton kept us on tender hooks for the majority of the 2021 season and I just can't help but feel things may not be as simple for Verstappen this year, as it was in 2022. During the Brazilian Sprint Race in 2022, we got a glimpse of a forming tension between Verstappen and his teammate, Sergio Perez. And, with Perez stating that he has no plans to help Verstappen during this season unless Verstappen returns the favor, Red Bull may have a slight problem on their hands. However, Red Bull are no strangers when it comes to tension between teammates. Remember the Vettel and Webber days? Well, the team may knock any tension on the head before it gets too out of hand.

And, potentially it may not be the Red Bull drivers with that rivalry. I'd keep my eye out for the Alpine and Haas drivers, in particular. They've both got some history there. I'll never forget when Kevin Magnussen told Nico Hulkenberg to suck his balls. What a time to be alive.

Haas To Start Strong But Fade Away. Like Usual

Haas are definitely a team that belong in the mid to back end of the midfield when you look at their performances from recent seasons. However, I don't know if anyone else has noticed this pattern, but Haas seem to start the season strong before fading away. There could be plenty of reasons for this including the fact some teams manage to develop their cars more quickly and more successfully than others throughout the season. Haas has very little money compared to some of the bigger teams so of course they're going to get stung eventually by the development wars. I wouldn't be too surprised to see the same happen again this year.

Williams Become Regular Point Scorers

The Williams team know what it's like to win. They also know what it's like to be backmarkers, struggling to break into the points each race weekend. In 2022, we started to notice an improvement from the long-standing F1 team which saw them finish in the points on a more regular basis. This year's battle in the midfield is looking to be a fantastic one and the effort the Williams team have put in during testing hasn't gone unnoticed, especially as Logan Sargeant finished Day Two's morning session in P2.

Are we about to see them in the points more often? I'd like to think so. The only thing that the team seems to be lacking is overall race pace but still, this is F1 and anything can happen.

Tough Season For McLaren

As we know, results from testing sessions need to be taken with a pinch of salt. For McLaren, however, there is some cause for concern.

During the pre-season testing sessions, the car didn't live up to the team's expectations and spent quite a bit of time being worked on in the garage. It was because of this that a lot of testing time was lost and very few laps were completed in comparison to other teams. And, although the team was adamant everything was ok, they soon admitted that the car "fell short" of their development goals. Other teams also suspect, that come the first race in Bahrain, due to the overall lack in performance, McLaren will find themselves towards the back end of the grid. Ouch. This could be a tough one for the team from Woking.

At Least One First Time Winner

In recent seasons, there has been at least one new winner in Formula One. From Pierre Gasly in the Alpha Tauri in 2020 to Esteban Ocon and Alpine in 2021 and Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari in 2022. There's something magical and heartwarming about a driver winning their first race. And, what's stopping another driver from doing it all again this year? Well, of course there's the machinery for starters but that doesn't always matter. As I've already mentioned in this article, this is Formula One, after all.

Nyck De Vries: Rookie Of The Year

Formula One see's the addition of three rookies to the grid in 2023. And, although Nyck de Vries competed at last year's Italian Grand Prix, he is still considered a rookie for this season. De Vries is a seasoned racing driver. He is older than the other rookies and holds several championship wins such as Formula E and Formula Two, under his belt. His experience is an advantage and to get a full time race seat from just one Formula One race, the Dutchman is doing something right. I honestly think that it would be kind of silly to bet against him for the title of "Rookie of the Year."

So, there we have it. My 2023 predicitions. I should probably apologise to any drivers mentioned in this article as I've probably just jinxed them. I'm good at that.

Will any of these predictions prosper? Time will tell. Let me know any of your predictions in the comments below! In the mean time, let's have a bloody good season of Formula One!