Yuki Tsunoda admitted that he found Red Bull`s Formula 1 car more challenging to drive than he anticipated during his first practice sessions with the team at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Tsunoda, who recently joined Red Bull from Racing Bulls, replacing Liam Lawson, experienced his first run with the team at his home race on Friday. In the first practice session, he performed well, finishing just behind Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion.
However, in the second practice, which was disrupted by red flags, Tsunoda was further down the order. He confessed afterwards that the RB21 car was proving to be difficult to handle.
Tsunoda commented, “FP1 was better than expected, a positive start for me.”
He added about the second session, “FP2 I didn`t even set a proper lap time. We have a lot of work ahead of us.”
“Maybe I struggled a bit, or there`s something we need to analyze in the data from FP2. But overall, it was okay, I just need to gain more confidence,” Tsunoda explained.
Earlier in the week, Tsunoda had mentioned that he enjoyed driving the RB21 on the simulator at Red Bull`s factory and thought it would suit his driving style.
But after the Friday practice, he said, “It`s a bit different from the simulator, the feeling I got. It was perhaps more different than I expected in terms of how the car feels.”
“I knew the real car would always be slightly different, but it was a bit more exaggerated in reality, feeling a bit trickier,” he concluded.
Verstappen Echoes Car Handling Issues
Tsunoda wasn`t the only Red Bull driver facing difficulties. Max Verstappen also struggled with the car`s setup, finishing the second practice session in eighth place.
Despite the unusual nature of Practice Two, Red Bull`s difficulties were highlighted by the fact that both Racing Bulls cars outperformed the main Red Bull team. Isack Hadjar was third fastest, and Liam Lawson finished fifth in his return to Racing Bulls.
Verstappen commented, “It was a chaotic day for everyone with the red flags.”
“Today was quite challenging for me. We experimented with various adjustments to the car, but it seems like many things are not quite clicking at the moment, making it hard to set a good lap time.”
“You need a lot of confidence and commitment around this track. Currently, I don`t feel like I can fully utilize that, so I still have considerable work to do,” Verstappen admitted.
Verstappen has previously demonstrated his ability to maximize the car’s performance, but his current struggles suggest a potential challenge to McLaren`s pace at Suzuka this weekend.
Horner Sees Positives in Tsunoda`s Start
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 performance to Verstappen in FP1 was not due to different engine modes in their RB21 cars, stating, “They were both using identical engine modes.”
“It`s a positive start for Yuki. He`s very familiar with this circuit. His feedback in the car is very clear and concise,” Horner added.
“This is just the beginning of his journey with the team, and there`s much more to explore,” he concluded.
While confirming equal engine modes, Horner hinted that Tsunoda`s car setup might differ from Verstappen`s, aiming for improved driveability.
Speaking about the challenges faced by Verstappen`s past teammates, Horner suggested, “I think we need to provide a different setup.”
“Max`s capability to extract lap time from the car is exceptional, and we haven`t seen another driver replicate that to the same extent.”
“Therefore, I believe it`s necessary to offer a more stable car to the other driver, providing a more settled and predictable feel.”
“This might not be the absolute quickest setup, but it definitely instills more confidence in the driver,” Horner explained.
Gilbert Pendleton 
Wesley Dunham