Tost wants Tsunoda to remain ’wild’

Franz Tost insists he doesn’t want to take the "wild" nature out of Yuki Tsunoda.

Last year, when the diminutive Japanese made his F1 debut for Alpha Tauri, he eventually found himself rebuked for a series of accidents and incidents.

But team boss Tost insists that Tsunoda, 21, had a much better start to his 2022 campaign in testing.

"He consistently set good laptimes, never spun, had everything under control," the Austrian told RTL. "We can expect a lot from him this year."

In fact, Tost wants Tsunoda to retain his "wild Japanese" edge when the racing begins.

"I don’t have a problem with him banging the car into the guardrail again - if he’s fast," he said. "I don’t want to tame him at all."

Tsunoda’s teammate this year is again Pierre Gasly, but the Frenchman is making noises about potentially finding a more competitive seat for 2023.

At the same time, Tost admits he is impressed by the Ferrari-backed Haas driver Mick Schumacher.

"He’s one of the really big talents," he said. "Mick has a great future ahead of him.

"He knows how to win races and championships - he’s a very intelligent driver. That will help him to be successful in Formula 1," Tost added.