INTERNATIONAL: Formula One driver Yuki Tsunoda came to support fellow Japanese athlete and world number one surfer Kanoa Igarashi on the opening day of the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach competition on Monday (April 11).

After a 15th place finish in the Australian Grand Prix, Alpha Tauri driver Tsunoda watched on as Igarashi make it through to the Round of 32 in the fourth competition of the 2022 World Surf League Championship held at Victoria's Bells Beach.

The Japanese surfer also spent time surfing with F1 Haas driver Mick Schumacher on Friday 9th April, along with fellow surfers Isabella Nicholls and Connor O'Leary.

Igarashi scored 16.24 in the three-to-five foot (1-1.5m) waves in his opening round heat at Bells Beach, while world number two and 11-time champion Kelly Slater scored 12.04 to come second in his heat but still make it through to the Round of 32.

The surfers were returning to the water at Bells for the first time since 2019, when John John Florence won the competition. Florence came second in his opening heat, scoring 13.37, while Olympic champion Italo Ferreira scored 12.83 to win his heat.

^{PHOTO: HIGHLIGHTS OF OPENING DAY OF RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH, THE FOURTH ROUND OF THE 2022 WORLD SURF LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP / COMMENTS FROM F1 DRIVER YUKI TSUNODA AND WORLD NUMBER ONE SURFER KANOA IGARASHI}