AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda was given a psychologist by Red Bull a few races ago as his funk outbursts were costing performance
AlphaTauri Formula One driver Yuki Tsuonda admits his brain sometimes “overheats” when he races and hopes a new psychologist hired by Red Bull will help him get a handle on it
In a recent Red Bull interview, the team’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko praises Tsunoda’s speed, but also says the Japanese driver is “prone to tantrums” and that “no one can get as fired up” as him, which ultimately costs performance.
Tsunoda, who currently sits 16th in the standings with 11 points, is known for his swearing on the radio during race weekends, which is why Red Bull recently hired a new psychologist to help him keep his anger in check.
Tsunoda already had a psychologist in Formula 2
The Japanese driver says he already worked with one during his Formula 2 days, which he believes helped him progress to Formula 1, and hopes the new psychologist can bring him “more consistency”.
“I have already worked with another psychologist from Formula 2,” Tsunoda said when asked about Marko’s comments at the Austrian Grand Prix weekend. “I’m really happy because I really enjoyed working with him and he was also one of the reasons why I was able to move up to Formula 1. “
“He should be able to help me develop my performance [from Formula 2] and stay consistent. That’s why Red Bull hired a new psychologist about four races ago,” Tsunoda said.
Collision with Gasly should not have happened
“I don’t know if it’s working yet or not at the moment. If it was working well, I think maybe I wouldn’t have had the accident [at Silverstone with teammate Pierre Gasly], but I need to give myself a bit more time because he needs to know more about me and we need to understand what direction we’re going.”
“One of the limitations is just that my brain starts to overheat quite a bit in the car. In some situations it’s better already, but I know I need to improve in those areas to become more consistent.”
In recent years, a number of Formula One drivers have been open about their work with sports psychologists, including McLaren driver Lando Norris and Mercedes driver George Russell. Other motorsport riders have also spoken openly about their mental problems, such as reigning MotoGP world champion Fabio Quartararo last year.