Red Bull, Yuki clarifies: “Now you understand the difference”
The situation inside Red Bull Racing remains complicated. It started with underwhelming performances at the beginning of the season, became even more turbulent after the dismissal of Christian Horner, and continues today with plenty of questions surrounding the team’s future. In this context, the summer break came at the right time for Yuki Tsunoda. Having joined to replace Liam Lawson, the Japanese driver endured difficult months before finally showing signs of progress in Hungary and Belgium. Now, he has spoken out on a topic that nobody had openly addressed before.
Tsunoda has something to say…
At Red Bull, the reference point has always been Max Verstappen, and many drivers have struggled under that pressure. But Tsunoda highlighted another factor that often gets overlooked: the fact that the two drivers within the same team might not always have access to the same package of updates.
“They probably didn’t realize, especially Helmut, the difference between me and Max in terms of package. And as soon as they introduced it, my pace suddenly improved a lot. In Hungary, the difference between me and Max was minimal from practice onwards. And that shows that maybe I really do have potential.”
The update package doesn’t explain everything
Of course, having a different update package can create a gap between Yuki and Max, but it doesn’t fully explain the deficit Tsunoda has faced against the world champion on several occasions. Being Verstappen’s teammate is never easy, and with the constant pressure from Helmut Marko, things often get even tougher.
The Japanese driver reflected on his current situation inside Red Bull:
“Yes, I definitely have to prove more. But actually, the last two races before the summer break helped me a little. So I think I’ll keep doing what I’ve been doing, but at the same time I still need to put everything together across the whole weekend. You can’t just rely on the race. I need to score points. That’s why I prepared during the summer break, and now I just need to collect as many points as possible.”
Tsunoda’s uncertain future
Another factor weighing on Tsunoda is the lack of a confirmed contract for next season. That means he has to prove himself to secure his Red Bull seat.
“In terms of timing, we agreed on how long I have to show good performances so they can decide what kind of contract they want for next year. But we’ll see. Maybe Helmut is thinking about something. For now, I understand he expects me to show my ability. I think in the last two races, like I said, after receiving the updates, there was some recognition of my performances. Before that, the gap was massive. And I think that helps both him and me give it a bit more time to see how things develop.”
He added: “I think he has supported me a lot, but obviously he’s also a very straightforward guy. He’s here for the team and wants to score as many points as possible. So I definitely have to give my best. But as far as I understand, he’s still waiting a bit before deciding what’s best for Red Bull. We’ll see what happens with Racing Bulls or whoever else. My main goal is to stay with Red Bull. But we’ll see.”
The first few months of Tsunoda’s Red Bull adventure haven’t been what either he or the Austrian team expected. The Japanese driver has been under intense pressure to prove himself worthy of the seat, while results have been slow to arrive. But his explanation regarding different upgrade packages offers a plausible reason for the gap to Verstappen. The next races will reveal whether his words hold true.
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