Yuki Tsunoda on RB21: “From simulator testing, I don’t find the car particularly difficult to drive”. Yuki Tsunoda has not identified major obstacles in his feeling with the RB21.

All set for the debut
With Liam Lawson’s brief and ultimately unsuccessful Red Bull stint now behind him after just two races, the New Zealander is set to return to Racing Bulls starting from the Japanese Grand Prix, swapping places with his former teammate Yuki Tsunoda. This means the #22 driver will make his debut with the Milton Keynes team this weekend, right in front of his home crowd—a move that seemed almost inevitable at the end of last season following Sergio Perez’s departure.

The great emotion
Since the official announcement, Yuki Tsunoda has repeatedly shared his thoughts ahead of the Suzuka weekend, most recently during a Red Bull event held at Honda’s headquarters in Aoyama (with the team set to race with a special livery to celebrate its final year of partnership with the Golden Wing). “I have to admit, everything feels a bit unreal,” said Max Verstappen’s new teammate. “When I got the call, I thought, ‘Wow, this will be interesting.’ More than anything, I’m excited for the challenge ahead. There aren’t many moments in life when you’re under such extreme pressure, so I can only imagine this will be an incredibly thrilling race weekend. At first, I was too busy to fully enjoy the excitement. I had to jump straight into the simulator and take care of a lot of preparation work. Of course, being promoted to Red Bull is a great opportunity, but I mostly wanted to talk with my engineers and the people who have supported me. Despite all the emotions, I felt really calm. Since I was already a Red Bull reserve driver this year, I had even adjusted my seat beforehand. But at the time, I thought: ‘Why am I doing this? I won’t be racing anyway.’”

First experience in the simulator
The upcoming weekend in Japan is a major moment for Yuki Tsunoda, but at the same time, he remains notably composed about his feeling with the RB21 after simulator tests. “I spent about two days in the simulator,” he added. “From that experience, I don’t find the car particularly difficult to drive. Naturally, the way I want to set up the car is different from Max’s. I want to develop my own setup, understand it well, and gradually push to the limit right from the first practice session.”