“It’s a cultural thing”: Tsunoda on why surge in social media followers has come from Europe and not Japan

Formula 1 driver Yuki Tsunoda has caught a fair deal of spotlight since it was announced that he would be racing for AlphaTauri in 2021.

While his sense of humour had got people interested in his personality, his performance in the season-opener in Bahrain truly saw racing fans take notice of the diminutive youngster.

He managed to finish in the points and although he wasn’t personally satisfied with his performance, it has given everyone a glimpse of his potential.

The direct result was a huge surge in his social media following. He gained 152,121 followers across Instagram and Twitter, but there was a pattern that Tsunoda noticed that really interested him.

He saw that most of the followers were from Europe, rather than Japan. Here’s why he believes that was the case.

“It was interesting that after Bahrain, I think I got a bigger reaction from European fans than from those in Japan. It’s a cultural thing: Japanese fans want to see what I do in a few rounds before getting a proper impression.”

It goes without saying that his start has made people think of him as someone who could be a serious force to reckon with in the future.

While this could put pressure on any youngster, Tsunoda instead sees it as a motivating factor. It is crucial for him that he gives his 100% to the team’s success.

“I was surprised at that reaction in Europe. I didn’t expect it, because for me, Bahrain was not a perfect weekend and I was hoping to finish higher, I am happy about the fans’ support.

“But, I don’t feel pressure because of it. I take it as something positive and this weekend I will just get on and do my job.”

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