Tsunoda wants to try "driving styles that I never tried in my career in Formula 1"
On the back of a run of four pointless races in the last four F1 rounds, Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda revealed that he might try "driving styles I never tried in my career in Formula 1."
Yuki Tsunoda extended his contract with Racing Bulls for his 2025 campaign, partnering FIA Formula 2 runner-up Isack Hadjar. However, after his early-season performances at the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix—including sixth at the latter sprint—Red Bull opened discussions to promote Tsunoda as a replacement for Liam Lawson at the parent team.
He had qualified fifth and ninth, respectively, before being denied points finishes due to strategic errors at both, as well as spontaneous front wing damage in China.
Red Bull then elected to replace Lawson with Tsunoda in a swap deal from the Japanese Grand Prix onwards, partnering defending four-time World Drivers' Champion Max Verstappen for the remainder of the 2025 season. However, the Japanese driver has had a very disappointing period of time since he joined the Milton Keynes outfit.
Asked about how much time he needs to adapt himself and his driving style to Red Bull's RB21, Tsunoda refused provide an exact deadline, but he suggested that former Red Bull drivers also failed to get used to the car straight away.
"I mean, I don’t know. It depends on the driver, but also at the same time, I didn’t see yet so far the driver who probably got used to it in that car straight away.
"So that’s probably the fact, but at the same time, I feel I’m in the right direction, at least on the short runs. Yeah, I missed out probably Q1 in Austria, but at the same time, gap was pretty small. Also in terms of the whole package, I know there’s something to come as well into this year compared to Max.
"So once I get full package, I still have good confidence that I can be in a level that they want. That’s what I’m working hard on. In terms of the long run is exactly the place that I’m still probably struggling at, but I’ll find a way. I saw a couple of driving styles that I can try that I never tried in my career in Formula 1.
"It’s just the learning stuff. Is it true that in terms of confidence, when the condition changes every session, maybe I’m taking a little bit more time compared to where I used to have at VCARB where for example, I knew exactly how the car was going to drive in each set-up, I can go flat out from the first push. But maybe in the Red Bull, I had to build up, which for me is the right approach.
"I don’t think it’s a wrong approach, but just takes a bit of time. I don’t know if it’s going to take a whole season or not, but at least it’s positive that I’m going in the right direction."
