Tsunoda doesn't want to dwell on that for too long: "Look at Verstappen"

When asked about his feelings on being the youngest driver on the grid this year, Tsunoda replied to AlphaTauri's official channels. “I don’t think it’s worth putting too much emphasis on age – as Max Verstappen was 17 when he started – but I feel it’s an honour to be the first driver on the grid to be born in 2000," the Japanese laughs.

Gasly as a reference

The young talent will drive alongside Pierre Gasly in 2021. The Frenchman is still only 25 years old but has already earned the stamp of experience. "Pierre is really fast and already has a win under his belt in F1. The first target for every driver is to beat your team-mate but he will be a hard one to beat."

The men met a few years ago in Japan when Gasly drove in Super Formula and Tsunoda made his appearance in Japanese Formula 4. "He nearly got the title in his first year in Japan which is really difficult, especially for a European driver. He’s an incredible talent and I’m excited to learn everything I can from him this season," Tsunoda praised his new teammate.