With Saudi Arabia, Yuki Tsunoda wrapped up his third weekend with Red Bull. Of course, there are still many steps to fully understand this car, which is why the team has scheduled extra preparation for the Japanese driver before the next Grand Prix in Miami.
Yuki Tsunoda comes off an intense three-week period with Red Bull, during which he had little rest due to the triple-header of races that saw him first racing at home in Japan, then in Bahrain, and finally in Saudi Arabia.
This last adventure, however, was brief as the 2000-born driver was involved in an incident with Pierre Gasly that forced him to retire after just one lap. Aside from this setback, Yuki Tsunoda generally appeared convincing. The Japanese driver tried to stay close to Max Verstappen in the various sessions and secured the team’s first double points finish in several GPs.
Due to these encouraging results, Red Bull is making sure to leave no stone unturned in accelerating Yuki Tsunoda’s progress. Specifically, the team has promised the Japanese driver an intense week of work after the Saudi Arabian GP to best prepare for the upcoming Miami GP.
The extra preparations consist of simulator work today, followed by a test day with the RB19 at Silverstone on Wednesday. Yuki Tsunoda will thus have the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the car that, in 2023, secured the team 23 wins out of 24.
Red Bull’s decision to have the 24-year-old race at Silverstone highlights the efforts the team is making to ensure that he feels as comfortable as possible with the car. Yuki Tsunoda himself admitted that, despite racing in three GPs, there is still much to learn about the car and how to make the most of it.
“I’m just trying to understand how this car works, how it behaves,” he said in Jeddah. “I think I don’t even understand half of it. These are the fundamental things I’m trying to work hard to understand as soon as possible. Then I can focus on various things, from development to everything else.”
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