Yuki Tsunoda reveals: “Compared to 2024, we have improved, but not to the point where we want to be”. Yuki Tsunoda did not hide the goals that Racing Bulls still needs to achieve.

From Faenza to Milton Keynes
The new season also begins for the Racing Bulls team, ready to compete in the Australian Grand Prix just days after the internal upheaval caused by the resignation of Technical Director Jody Egginton, who will retain the same role at Red Bull Advanced Technologies. This transition from Faenza to Milton Keynes also involved Liam Lawson in recent months, as he moved into the role of Max Verstappen’s teammate.

A move that disappointed Japan’s Yuki Tsunoda, who was initially considered a candidate to inherit Sergio Perez’s seat, given his greater F1 experience compared to the New Zealander. In Melbourne, however, the #22 will take part in his fifth season in the Circus, still driving for Racing Bulls, formerly AlphaTauri: “It was a difficult test,” he told the media, “but I still feel confident. We had a great long run, while in the qualifying simulations, we need to find a bit more performance. We’ll find out in this weekend’s qualifying, but I’m very excited for this championship.” – he pointed out.

A new teammate
With Liam Lawson’s departure, Yuki Tsunoda will share the garage with rookie Isack Hadjar, with whom he seems to have a good relationship, somewhat reminiscent of the Japanese driver’s own F1 debut: “Isack is a very kind guy, and I also got the impression that he is secretly a big fan of mine,” he explained. “Yesterday, we talked about my career, and he knew more than I did. Referring to an interview where I was asked about the best moment of my career in Europe, I answered with my first Formula 3 win at Monza, but he almost answered before me. I was a bit surprised that he knew about my first victory. He’s a fast driver who is entering F1 at 20, more or less the same age I was when I debuted, whereas now I’m 24. I myself arrived in F1 when Gasly was 24 or 25. I feel like an older brother—it’s a nice feeling.”

The situation on the eve of the race
Yuki Tsunoda concluded by commenting on the progress of the VCARB 02, focusing on the immediate goals to achieve: “Compared to last year, we have definitely improved, but we are not yet at the level we want to be,” he said. “This year, we will focus even more on development, but you can never know our true position until qualifying, when all the teams show up. In any case, it will be a tough race, and my goal is to extract 100% of the car’s performance lap after lap.” – the Japanese driver concluded ahead of the Australian Grand Prix weekend.