Yuki Tsunoda Reveals ‘Best Driver in the World’ Lewis Hamilton Propelled Him To F1
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Formula One F1 – Turkish Grand Prix – Istanbul Park, Istanbul, Turkey -Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton celebrates on the podium with a trophy after winning the race and the world championship Pool via REUTERS/Clive Mason
Lewis Hamilton has been standing atop the podium step ever since he debuted with McLaren in 2007. The Briton, with his long list of achievements, is an inspiration to up-and-coming F1 drivers. In the 14 years he’s been in the sport, he has inspired an entire generation of drivers, the one that will succeed his own.
One next-gen driver that he has inspired is Yuki Tsunoda; and it was during his early beginnings that the Brit made an impression on him. The FIA hosted the Japanese GP at the Fuji Speedway in 2007 after a gap of 40 years. Tsunoda was present at the race where Lewis caught his eye.
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SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA – JULY 10: Yuki Tsunoda of Japan and Carlin prepares for the Practice for the Formula 2 Championship at Red Bull Ring on July 10, 2020 in Spielberg, Austria. (Photo by Joe Portlock – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
“When I was 8 years old, I went to Fuji Speedway in Japan and Lewis Hamilton was racing for Mclaren. And I just thought one day I want to drive with this guy and race against the best driver in the world,” said Tsunoda.
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The race was a classic, with McLaren teammates Alonso and Hamilton battling for the lead of the race. A torrential downpour caused significant aquaplaning on the track which ultimately caused Alonso to crash out. Though Hamilton won the race, their duel was epic.
“I would like to fight Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, and Fernando Alonso. But especially Hamilton and Alonso. I saw them racing on the Fuji Speedway when I was seven or eight years old. I am very happy to be able to race against those drivers now,” said the AlphaTauri driver as quoted by GPBlog.
Tsunoda wishes to be a world champion like Lewis Hamilton
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The Red Bull Academy graduate’s dreams came true when sister team AlphaTauri announced him as their driver for 2021. However, he had to grind it out in F2 and secure a top-five finish. He achieved that comfortably and now has his eyes on the ultimate prize in F1.
“My dream is to be a Formula 1 world champion and if I’d struggled in Formula 2, then this would have been really difficult.”
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NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 09: Race winner Yuki Tsunoda of Japan and Carlin celebrates on the podium during the sprint race of the Formula 2 Championship at Silverstone on August 09, 2020 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Joe Portlock – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
Tsunoda is fulfilling the expectations of his Japanese fanbase. He oozes confidence and tenacity like his hero, Lewis Hamilton, while wishing to emulate his success. Hopefully, this season is just a start of a prolonged and glorious stay in F1.
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