Yuki Tsunoda admitted that he found Red Bull`s Formula 1 car more difficult to handle than anticipated during his first practice sessions for the team at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Tsunoda recently joined Red Bull from their sister team, Racing Bulls, taking a seat alongside world champion Max Verstappen. This move came after Liam Lawson was unexpectedly replaced just two races into the 2025 season.
Making his debut for Red Bull at his home race on Friday, Tsunoda initially performed well in the first practice session. He finished just one position behind Verstappen, and only a tenth of a second separated them.
In the second practice session, which was disrupted by multiple red flags, Tsunoda finished in 18th place. However, he acknowledged afterwards that he found the RB21 car challenging.
Tsunoda commented, “FP1 was better than expected, a good start for me.”
He added, “FP2, I didn’t even set a lap time. There is a lot of work to do.”
Tsunoda mentioned that he might have struggled a bit in FP2, or there might be something to investigate in the data. He concluded that so far it was acceptable, and he needs to build more confidence.
Earlier in the week, Tsunoda had mentioned that he enjoyed driving the RB21 in the simulator at Red Bull`s factory and believed it could suit his driving style.
However, after the Friday sessions, he stated, “It’s a bit different to the simulator, from what I felt. Maybe more different than expected in terms of car feeling.”
He explained that he knew the real car would feel different from the simulator, but the difference was more pronounced than he anticipated, making the car feel “a bit more tricky.”
Verstappen: Car Not “Clicking” for Me
Tsunoda wasn`t the only Red Bull driver experiencing difficulties. Max Verstappen also struggled with his car`s setup and finished the second practice session in eighth place.
Despite the unusual nature of Practice Two, Red Bull`s challenges were emphasized by the fact that both Racing Bulls cars outperformed the main Red Bull team. Isack Hadjar finished third, and Liam Lawson was fifth in his return to Racing Bulls.
Verstappen explained, “It was quite chaotic for everyone with all the red flags.”
He added, “Today was quite difficult for me. We tried many different things with the car, but it seems like many things are not really clicking at the moment, making it difficult to set a good lap time.”
Verstappen continued, “You need a lot of confidence and commitment here. Currently, I don`t feel like I can utilize that, so I still have considerable work ahead.”
Despite his struggles in practice, Verstappen has shown his ability to maximize the car`s potential, achieving second and fourth-place finishes earlier in the season. However, based on Friday`s practice, it seems challenging for him to compete with McLaren`s pace at Suzuka this weekend.
Horner: Positive Start for Tsunoda
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner noted that Tsunoda had a “positive start” with the team after the first practice session.
Horner clarified that Tsunoda`s close time to Verstappen in FP1 was not due to different engine modes, stating that both drivers were using identical settings.
He told Sky Sports F1, “They were both identical engine modes. That’s a positive start for Yuki. He knows the circuit very well here. His feedback is very clear, very concise in the car. It’s just the start of his journey with the team, and there’s plenty to get into.”
While confirming identical engine modes, Horner suggested that Tsunoda`s car might have a different setup compared to Verstappen`s, aiming for improved driveability.
Regarding the challenges faced by Verstappen`s teammates in the past, Horner said, “I think we have to provide a different set-up. Max’s ability to extract lap time from the car is unique, and I don`t think we have seen another driver do that in the same way.”
He concluded, “Therefore, I think you need to give almost a calmer car to whoever is the other driver, to give a more settled and predictable feel. That’s not necessarily the quickest car, but it is definitely a more confidence-inspiring car for whichever driver.”
