Yuki Tsunoda isn’t ruling out the potential of at some point working within the Indianapolis 500, however not anytime quickly.
The 24-year-old, who competes for Pink Bull’s sister outfit RB in Formulation 1, drove an Indycar for the primary time on Tuesday as a part of a celebration of Honda’s ‘Hybrid Heroes’ forward of this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix. The outing, which additionally noticed three-time Formulation 1 World Champion Max Verstappen drive the Acura ARX-06 GTP entry, got here on an estimated 1.3-mile street course at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
After being coached up by six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon, Tsunoda made a few runs that lasted roughly a mixed half-hour, and it was very evident he was pushing the restrict instantly. And the smile from the affable Japanese driver was wider than ordinary as soon as he climbed out of the cockpit of the No. 93 entry that was ready by Chip Ganassi Racing.
Throughout the occasion, Tsunoda took half in a choose media roundtable, the place Motorsport.com requested if this expertise offered curiosity in getting into an Indycar extra sooner or later if a chance was offered – doubtlessly mirroring the trail of ex-F1 castoff and fellow countryman Takuma Sato, a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500.
“If I’ve [an] alternative and I really feel it’s the fitting time, for positive I might like to,” Tsunoda stated. “I just like the US itself, so I don’t thoughts residing right here as effectively.
“However I really feel prefer it’s not the time as a result of I can’t think about I’m driving at [Indianapolis Motor Speedway], greater than a two-hour race and we do greater than 200 mph or no matter each lap. For me, it’s scary. I can’t think about myself driving greater than two hours and being in that automobile. I don’t know. For now, I [am not] actually aiming or fascinated by IndyCar, however yeah, why not sooner or later?”
Tsunoda offered extra thought relating to his tackle the oval racing that could be a important a part of North America’s premier open-wheel championship.
“Not afraid, however positively doesn’t really feel totally snug driving an oval,” Tsunoda stated. “I respect the drivers quite a bit. Driving [Indianapolis] the 2 hours, like how can this driver drive in a circle, actually two hours subsequent to the wall each lap. If in case you have a collision, it may be actually, actually massive as effectively, so these issues I can’t think about proper now. And proper now, I’m not likely fascinated by the ovals.
Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Group
Picture by: Honda
“You recognize, [the Indy 500] is such a cool competitors and many of the drivers will dream about being there, however at present I don’t have that focus on [or] something. As soon as I begin getting a bit older and my mentality of issues change, perhaps I’ll strive at that time; drink the milk on the finish of the race, hopefully.”
So far as what it was prefer to drive an Indycar, Tsunoda wasn’t fazed by the dearth of energy steering as a result of slow-speed corners of the circuit structure, however did work up a sweat after sitting behind the aeroscreen for the primary time, reverse of the Halo in F1.
Moreover, although, the enjoyment he felt behind the wheel reminded him extra of his karting days as he was capable of assault every nook.
“It simply feels a bit extra like karting – you may mess around extra,” he stated. “Formulation 1 vehicles are managed by the methods, electronics, however this automobile feels extra direct, so it’s important to nonetheless management the activation part to regulate the sliding of the rear; that feels fairly good, particularly [since] you may drift round a bit bit [and] slide round within the automobile. So, that feels good. Straightaway I felt snug, so capable of push a bit bit extra.”
Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Group, Scott Dixon
Picture by: Honda
One of many distinctive parts, in keeping with Dixon, was Tsunoda’s curiosity in studying each small component of the instruments accessible within the automobile right away, notably the roll bars, engine modes and deployment of the hybrid system.
David Salters, the president of Honda Racing Company, confirmed to Motorsport.com that it didn’t take lengthy to provide Tsunoda the possibility to push the tempo.
“It was fairly spectacular to see, like Flip 3, he was on full push,” Salters stated. “After we began off, taking it straightforward, the automobile was in apply mode – powertrain – after which he got here in, and there was a little bit of a facet dialogue for brand new boots and race-quali energy. And he fairly loved that, I feel.”
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