Yuki Tsunoda mentioned that he found Red Bull`s car `more tricky` to handle than he anticipated during the first practice sessions for the team at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Tsunoda was recently promoted from Red Bull`s junior team, Racing Bulls, to partner with current world champion Max Verstappen. This move occurred after Liam Lawson was replaced just two races into the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Making his debut for Red Bull at his home race on Friday, Tsunoda initially performed well, finishing just behind Verstappen in first practice, only a tenth of a second apart.
The 24-year-old driver finished 18th in the second session, which was affected by multiple red flags. He later admitted that he found the RB21 challenging.
Tsunoda stated, `FP1 was better than expected. A positive start for me.`
`FP2 I didn`t even set a lap time. There`s a lot of work to be done.`
`Perhaps 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 build more confidence.`
Verstappen: Car Not Clicking
Tsunoda wasn`t the only one who found the car difficult. Verstappen also struggled with his setup and finished eighth in the second practice.
Despite the unusual nature of Practice Two, Red Bull`s difficulties were evident as both Racing Bulls cars outperformed the main team. Isack Hadjar finished third, and Lawson was fifth in his return to the junior team.
Verstappen commented, `It was quite chaotic for everyone with the red flags.`
`Today was quite tough for me. We experimented with various things on the car, but it seems like many things aren`t quite working right now, making it hard to set a good lap time.`
`You need a lot of confidence and commitment here. At the moment, I don`t feel like I can fully utilize that, so I still have significant work ahead.`
Verstappen has already shown his ability to maximize the car`s potential with second and fourth-place finishes at the start of the season. However, he currently seems unlikely to challenge McLaren`s strong pace at Suzuka for the rest of the weekend.
Horner: Tsunoda`s Positive Start
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner mentioned after Practice One that Tsunoda had a `positive start` with the team.
Horner clarified that Tsunoda`s close time to Verstappen was not due to different engine modes in their RB21 cars. He mentioned they used identical engine modes.
`It`s a positive start for Yuki. He knows this circuit very well. His feedback in the car is clear and concise.`
`This is just the beginning of his journey with the team, and there`s much more to explore.`
While using the same engine mode, Horner suggested that Tsunoda`s car might have a different setup compared to Verstappen`s, aiming for better driveability.
Regarding the challenges faced by Verstappen`s teammates over time, Horner explained, `I think we need to provide a different setup.`
`Max`s ability to get lap time out of the car is unique, and we haven`t seen another driver replicate it in the same way.`
`Therefore, I believe we need to provide a more stable car for the other driver, offering a more settled and predictable feel.`
`This might not be the absolute fastest setup, but it certainly inspires more confidence for the driver.`
