After years stuck in the lower ranks, never considered by the higher-ups of the official team, his chance has finally arrived. Yuki Tsunoda will make the leap to Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen starting from the Japanese Grand Prix, in his home country. The determination with which he arrives at Suzuka is impressive: he sets the goal and sends a clear message to the whole team, including his teammate. The battle is on.
Since his debut in the top motorsport category in 2021, he has been relegated to Red Bull’s lower team, despite proving his worth multiple times. What likely held back the higher-ups was the fact that, alongside excellent performances like his fourth place in Abu Dhabi in his first year, there were also some disastrous ones. The most absurd situation was the pit exit incident in Canada with the H tyres on a wet track.
Despite this, it is worth noting that Tsunoda has managed to beat his teammates in almost every season. The most recent one is certainly Daniel Ricciardo, the historic Red Bull driver who could never keep up with the Japanese driver.
Last year, a small opening had appeared for Yuki. With Sergio Perez’s departure, the two main contenders were him and Liam Lawson. The latter came out on top, but now, after just two GPs, the situation has reversed. Due to poor performances, the New Zealand driver has been demoted to Racing Bulls, while the Japanese driver will make the long-awaited leap.
The determination with which he approaches his home Grand Prix is incredible. Speaking for the first time since the official announcement at Honda’s headquarters in Aoyama, Yuki Tsunoda was clear. “I never expected to race with Red Bull in Japan. This is also the last year of the partnership between Honda and Red Bull, so racing here with them is amazing.”
“When I was told, I was so happy, but after thinking about it, everything seemed so surreal. I don’t want to create too many expectations, but for this Japanese Grand Prix, my goal is to make it to the podium. That said, I know it won’t be easy, especially in the first races. My priority is to understand the car well, how it behaves compared to the VCARB.”
“If I manage to enjoy driving it and get comfortable during FP1, the results could come. If that leads to a podium finish, it would be incredible.” However, the Japanese driver is aware of the pressure that comes with this move. “There are no other moments in life where you face this kind of pressure.”
“I spent about two days in the simulator. From that experience, I didn’t find the car that hard to drive. I felt the front end was very responsive, as is often said. But in my opinion, it wasn’t hard to manage. I wouldn’t say it was a particularly strange feeling, at least in the simulator.”
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