AlphaTauri have confirmed that Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda will continue with the team for the 2022 Formula 1 season.
In a statement on their website, AlphaTauri said that “the current duo will be able to deliver good results [next year], having already worked well together in 2021.
“Pierre has shown a very strong performance whilst undertaking a team leader role this season, having already achieved a podium finish and remaining within the top 10 in the drivers’ standings.
“Meanwhile Yuki, who became the first Japanese driver to score points in their debut Formula 1 race, has stepped up to the new challenge and is continuing the steep learning curve during his rookie season.”
After beginning his career in Formula 1 with the Italian team in 2017, back when they were known as Toro Rosso, Gasly joined sister team Red Bull at the beginning of the 2019 season.
A string of poor results saw him return to Toro Rosso midway through 2019, where he has since cemented his status as one of the best performing drivers on the grid.
The Frenchman, 25, scored his first podium at that year’s Brazilian Grand Prix, before winning his first F1 race in Monza last year and finishing third at this year’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
After another strong performance at last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, he “wondered why” Red Bull had opted to sign Sergio Perez for 2022 instead of giving him a second chance.
Tsunoda, meanwhile, has endured a mixed first season in Formula 1.
Promoted to AlphaTauri after finishing third in last season’s Formula 2 championship, there have been some good performances from the 21-year-old, notably in Bahrain, Azerbaijan, and Hungary.
He has struggled to compete with Gasly, however, being outqualified at every race so far and now 48 points behind in the drivers’ standings.
Featured image by Jen Ross – IMG_3356, CC BY 2.0; no changes made.
