RB System 1 driver Yuki Tsunoda isn’t ruling out the opportunity of someday operating within the Indianapolis 500 however insisted that will not come anytime quickly.
The Japanese drove an IndyCar – ready by Chip Ganassi Racing – for the primary time on Tuesday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as a part of a celebration of Honda’s ‘Hybrid Heroes’ forward of this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, an outing which additionally noticed Max Verstappen drive the Acura ARX-06 GTP machine.
After being coached by six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon, Tsunoda made a few runs that lasted virtually half-hour when mixed and it was very evident he was pushing to the restrict immediately.
Requested by Autosport on the occasion if this expertise offered curiosity in entering into an Indycar sooner or later if a chance was offered and probably mirroring the trail of fellow countryman Takuma Sato and two-time Indy 500 winner, Tsunoda replied: “If I’ve [an] alternative and I really feel it’s the best time, for positive I might like to.
“I just like the US itself, so I don’t thoughts dwelling 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 occupied with IndyCar, however yeah, why not sooner or later?”
Elaborating on his feedback relating to the problem of tackling superspeedways and ovals, Tsunoda added: “Not afraid, however undoubtedly doesn’t really feel absolutely comfy driving an oval.
“I respect the drivers rather a lot. 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 large as effectively, so these issues I can’t think about proper now. And proper now, I’m probably not occupied with the ovals.
Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Staff
Picture by: Honda
“You already know, [the Indy 500] is such a cool competitors and many of the drivers will dream about being there, however presently I don’t have that focus on [or] something. As soon as I begin getting a bit older and my mentality of issues change, possibly I’ll strive at that time; drink the milk on the finish of the race, hopefully.”
On his run within the CGR IndyCar, Tsunoda pointed to the shortage of driver aids in comparison with his regular equipment in F1.
“It simply feels a bit extra like karting – you may mess around extra,” he mentioned.
“System 1 automobiles are managed by the techniques, electronics, however this automobile feels extra direct, so it’s a must to nonetheless management the activation part to regulate the sliding of the rear; that feels fairly good, particularly [since] you may drift round slightly bit [and] slide round within the automobile.
“So, that feels good. Straightaway I felt comfy, so capable of push slightly bit extra.”
Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Staff, Scott Dixon
Picture by: Honda
One of many distinctive components, based on Dixon, was Tsunoda’s curiosity in studying each small factor of the instruments out there within the automobile immediately, significantly the roll bars, engine modes and deployment of the hybrid system.
David Salters, the president of Honda Racing Company, confirmed to Autosport 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 mentioned.
“Once we began off, taking it simple, the automobile was in observe mode after which he got here in, and there was a little bit of a facet dialogue for brand spanking new boots and race-quali energy. And he fairly loved that, I believe.”
