Yuki Tsunoda finished in ninth place at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday, capping off an impressive debut in Formula One.
The 20-year-old AlphaTauri driver became the first Japanese to record championship points in his debut event. Satoru Nakajima finished seventh in his debut at the Brazilian Grand Prix in 1987, but only those in the the top six were awarded points at that time.
Tsunoda said he felt half-satisfied, but was equally frustrated. He said although he wanted to finish higher, at least he was able to pick up some points.
Tsunoda is a protege of Honda Motor Co., which supplies AlphaTauri its engines.
After starting in 13th place on the grid, Tsunoda was worried about making contact with another car and dropped back in the race. But he returned to an aggressive style when the distance between cars started to open up.
Tsunoda began to display some speed by the midway point in the race and was able to pass drivers who had world championship experience. He said the moment he overtook Spanish two-time world champion Fernando Alonso was quite an emotional experience.
Tsunoda said he was over the moon because he has watched Alonso, whom he called an "F1 superstar," since he was a child.
Tsunoda exhibited a winning attitude, too, by moving up in the race on the final lap despite his tires being worn out. He said he is proud of his performance and is looking forward to the next race.
Expectations are high that he will play a more active role with Honda, which is set to leave F1 at the end of the 2021 season.
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