After being promoted to the Austrian team in place of Liam Lawson, Yuki Tsunoda found himself in the spotlight with high expectations. Considered technically more complete than the New Zealander, he has so far failed to fully convince: since his debut in the new setup, he has scored only 7 points—a rather poor haul that could cast doubt on his Formula 1 future, especially with his contract expiring at the end of the season.
However, there have been some encouraging signs in recent weeks. After a heavy crash in qualifying at Imola, the driver bounced back with a stronger performance in Canada, although the progress went largely unnoticed due to a 10-place grid penalty for overtaking under red flags during FP3.
The positive trend seems to be continuing in Austria, where he finished a promising seventh in Friday’s second practice session, confirming a renewed level of competitiveness that could mark a turning point in his season.
“There are still some details missing, maybe more, but at least I found a couple of positive things. So we’ll keep looking for more,” he said.
When asked whether he has finally gained confidence in the RB21, the driver responded positively, stating that on this type of track and with this car, confidence is a key factor.
“I’m still learning about this car, and it takes good adaptation. So far, I’m satisfied with this approach. I just need to put everything together.”
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