The second Red Bull seat in F1 has a complicated history. Without going too far back, it was assigned to Sergio Perez in 2021, a driver who has experienced many highs and lows. He started with a solid first season, culminating in the now-famous defense against Hamilton that played a crucial role in Max Verstappen’s title win. But it was all downhill from there. Each season saw a drop in performance, as well as his feeling with the car. By last season, it was more surprising to see him reach Q3 than to be eliminated in Q1. Meanwhile, over at Racing Bulls, two drivers were pushing hard for that seat: Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda.
This year, Red Bull opted for a seat swap, choosing Academy driver Liam Lawson, highly regarded by Helmut Marko. Despite the strong potential Liam Lawson had shown during his time at Racing Bulls, his start at Red Bull was disastrous, failing to reach Q2 in two consecutive races. As a result, the team decided the best solution was to swap drivers between Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson, hoping to keep fighting for the Constructors’ Championship.
What did Yuki Tsunoda say about the Red Bull?
To F1 fans, Yuki Tsunoda is just the latest in a long line of Racing Bulls drivers rotating through Red Bull’s second seat. His start at Red Bull was decent. After a rough debut in Japan—possibly due to the pressure and first contact with the new car—he bounced back strongly in Bahrain, becoming the first Red Bull second driver to reach Q3 this season and finishing in an impressive P9. In this interview with Motorsport and other selected media, he explained the differences between the two F1 cars.
“The VCARB has a wider performance window, the Red Bull doesn’t.” “It takes less time to find the right setup and get a good feeling with the Racing Bulls than with the Red Bull, which only responds to specific setups and tyre types.” “I’m starting to get a feel for the car—maybe I’ll say the same in Saudi Arabia.” “I don’t want to rush; what’s important is understanding how to develop the car properly.”
From his words, we can sense a clear difference between him and Lawson, who instead seemed under pressure every weekend. Yuki Tsunoda has time and wants to use it to find his rhythm and help develop the car. We’ll see if it’s the Red Bull driver who proves to be right by building synergy with the car, or the Racing Bulls driver, and whether we’ll end up calling this car undriveable for anyone but Max. One thing is certain: more than ever, Tsunoda and Lawson are learning just how ruthless the world of F1 can be.
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