Yuki Tsunoda has struggled since replacing Liam Lawson at Red Bull. The Japanese racer has scored seven points in seven races since stepping into the RB21 and has contributed to Red Bull falling to P4 in the constructors’ championship.
Tsunoda has failed to extract any performance out of the RB21. The 25-year-old is struggling to qualify well and is failing to make up the ground during the races. Red Bull chief advisor Helmut Marko has pinpointed the reasons why.
Helmut Marko claims Tsunoda struggles to adapt
Yuki Tsunoda has underwhelmed since being promoted to Red Bull, with his highest finish being a night-place at the Bahrain Grand Prix. The main issue during his time at Red Bull has been his qualifying pace. Helmut Marko has cited a reason for this, claiming Max Verstappen can adapt to changes, while Tsunoda can’t.
Speaking on Sport und Talk aus dem Hangar-7 TV show, Marko said: “Tsunoda is often only a tenth of a second behind in free practice, and then Max is way ahead in qualifying. We often manage to somehow get the car right in qualifying. Max then manages to adapt immediately; Yuki would have to do a few laps, but there aren’t any.”
Marko also claimed Verstappen can drive the car to the limit, something Tsunoda has yet to do. He continued: “Max has to drive every lap at the absolute limit. You can see that in how difficult Tsunoda is now; only Max can do that.”
Yuki Tsunoda on RB21 Struggles: “Still Learning to Push to the Limit”
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has claimed he will give Tsunoda “time” to adjust to the RB21. The Japanese driver is still learning the Red Bull machinery after not having a pre-season with the team. Max Verstappen needs help fighting the McLarens and needs his teammate to be up there with him so he can attack and use strategic play to win.
Yuki Tsunoda says the RB21 is unpredictable
Yuki Tsunoda has cited his limited experience with the RB21 as a possible cause for a disappointing start to his Red Bull career. The 25-year-old has spent his career with Racing Bulls since 2021, and knows what to expect from their car. However, the Red Bull cars react differently, something he needs to get acclimated to.
Tsunoda admitted that his crash during qualifying at Imola was down to him underestimating the RB21’s unpredictability. He said, “In recent years with Racing Bulls, I knew what was going to happen – I didn’t even have to think about it much.”
‘He’s Not a Pancake’: Verstappen Says Internal Questions Should Focus on the Car, Not Tsunoda
With 15 races still to go this season, there is hope that Tsunoda can figure out how to extract performance from the RB21. He also needs to learn how the car works and find a driving style to suit it. He still has time to turn his season around, but he needs to act before the ruthless Red Bull hierarchy decides that his seat is up for grabs.
