Tsunoda continues to impress Red Bull, meeting expectations despite a recent crash, and aims to close the gap to Verstappen.
Red Bull Confident in Tsunoda Despite Crash: “As Long as I Meet Red Bull’s Expectations…”
Red Bull is pleased with Yuki Tsunoda’s performance so far this season.
After Liam Lawson struggled to be competitive in both Australia and China, effectively becoming one of the slowest drivers on the grid, Red Bull made the decision to switch him out, giving Tsunoda the seat in the sister Red Bull car.
Although Tsunoda is still significantly trailing Max Verstappen in terms of pace, Red Bull’s team advisor, Dr. Helmut Marko, confirmed after Suzuka and Bahrain that the Japanese driver would remain in the car until the end of the 2025 season.
However, during practice in Saudi Arabia on Friday, Tsunoda made an unfortunate mistake, crashing the car.
Despite this, Marko remained unfazed, stating, “The pace is good, and the gap to Max is absolutely satisfactory.”
Tsunoda, for his part, acknowledged that he’s gradually gaining confidence in the car, adapting his driving style and setup to be more in line with Verstappen’s.
“The feeling in the car was really good. I felt really comfortable, both on long and short stints. I apologize for the crash, and I’ve already expressed my regret,” Tsunoda said.
The 23-year-old also confirmed that he’s meeting Red Bull’s expectations up to this point.
“Yes, that’s what I’m being told! I’m still learning, of course, but I know I need to keep improving my pace. As long as I’m at the level Red Bull expects of me in both qualifying and races, I can use free practice sessions to learn and improve.”
Tsunoda is confident that, when operating at full potential, he can occasionally challenge Verstappen’s pace.
“I know that if I push myself to the limit, I can probably beat Max now and then.”
As for the post-race discussions and crisis meeting at Red Bull following the Bahrain Grand Prix, Tsunoda didn’t seem too fazed.
“Yeah, the atmosphere in the engineering room after the race wasn’t the most pleasant. Everyone was just sharing their thoughts about the race.”
“I’m not sure what the team bosses were talking about. Maybe Max had another meeting, but I don’t know.”
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Red Bull’s Tsunoda Confident He Can Close Verstappen’s Gap Red Bull’s Tsunoda Confident He Can Close Verstappen’s Gap
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