Does not Helmut Marko generally remind you of Morpheus from The Matrix?
He has the ability to make or break the careers of younger drivers. In his seek for the particular one, he goes by dozens of them, placing one of the best on the conveyor belt of the Crimson Bull junior program. However those that agree to come back on board know that the truth will be brutal at instances.
Yuki Tsunoda finds himself in a fairly tenuous scenario. He is about to start out his fifth season with Crimson Bull’s junior staff, having been missed in favor of Liam Lawson, and there is a good likelihood – virtually no matter his efficiency – that it could possibly be his final.
Christian Horner, the boss of the staff Tsunoda so desperately desires to be promoted to, has already publicly questioned whether or not it is sensible to maintain Tsunoda within the household if he does not get that promotion past 2025. And with Crimson Bull’s partnership with Honda coming to an finish, Tsunoda’s journey with Crimson Bull can also conclude.
There aren’t many choices elsewhere both, which is usually the case for Marko’s drivers who by no means made it to the senior staff.
Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Staff
Picture by: Crimson Bull Content material Pool
There’s actually just one potential trump card for Tsunoda to play – his personal efficiency. It appears as if that efficiency in 2025 should be nothing in need of excellent to earn him one other contract extension. However would they actually eliminate a driver who’s delivering?
And if he does ship, may the story take a special flip – one which now feels virtually like science fiction? May it nonetheless result in that long-awaited promotion to Crimson Bull? If Tsunoda is quick and constant, if he lastly proves he can carry out beneath strain and begins speaking on the radio with AI-like composure – and if issues go unsuitable for Lawson within the coming months… Simply think about: Marko invitations Tsunoda to his workplace in Graz, opens his palm and divulges two capsules of various colours.
I nonetheless need that [Red Bull] seat in some unspecified time in the future. However the choice they made – it’s as much as them, not me
– Yuki Tsunoda
“Take the blue and you may keep in Faenza for a few years. Take the purple one and we’ll put you at Crimson Bull – however it might be over very quickly.”
“The purple one,” Tsunoda laughs as Motorsport.com presents him with this metaphorical query – born from a Marko-Morpheus hybrid – as we sit down for a chat within the Racing Bulls’ hospitality at Bahrain’s pre-season testing.
He immediately will get severe, although, and provides: “one hundred pc, purple.”
Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Staff
Picture by: Crimson Bull Content material Pool
Though he is cautious to not sound too displeased about Crimson Bull’s choice over the winter, Tsunoda admits he was shocked. From his perspective, he is satisfied he did sufficient to impress his bosses – not simply final season, however the yr earlier than as properly.
Having performed a major position within the untimely sacking of Nyck de Vries by setting a benchmark the Dutchman couldn’t match in any of the 12 Grand Prix weekends they spent as team-mates, Tsunoda went on to outperform Daniel Ricciardo too. And whereas it was the Australian who grabbed the headline outcomes, like P7 in Mexico 2023 and P4 within the Miami dash final spring, Tsunoda nonetheless had the higher hand in each their qualifying head-to-head battle and complete factors scored.
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He additionally has each cause to really feel he carried out higher than Lawson, although the margins weren’t that convincing. And it is probably the truth that the New Zealander was capable of run so near Tsunoda so early that tipped the scales in his favor – assuming Tsunoda was even being thought of.
But, it was one of many paddock’s worst-kept secrets and techniques that Crimson Bull was leaning closely towards selling Lawson lengthy earlier than the season had even completed – regardless of Tsunoda himself receiving no indications from Marko, Horner, and even his personal staff boss Laurent Mekies. He was knowledgeable of the ultimate choice solely shortly earlier than the general public announcement.
“I had, like, three calls from Helmut, Christian, and Laurent [before the announcement],” he remembers when requested how he discovered about Lawson’s promotion. “First was Helmut, I suppose. So, yeah, I heard the ultimate choice from them.”
Yuki Tsunoda with Racing Bulls staff principal Laurent Mekies
Picture by: Crimson Bull Content material Pool
He says he didn’t even attempt to maintain them on the cellphone too lengthy to listen to a proof.
“I imply, there’s no level in complaining and blah, blah, blah,” he shrugs. “I simply mentioned, ‘Yeah, I get it.’ Like, ‘Okay, good luck.’ Just about, that’s it. I imply, I simply gotta maintain doing what I’m doing, and my mindset gained’t change – I nonetheless need that [Red Bull] seat in some unspecified time in the future. However the choice they made, it’s as much as them, not me.
“I didn’t ask [why], actually. I believe Christian talked about that it’s not about efficiency. From what I heard from different individuals, they’re saying it’s not performance-related. It’s extra like a political [decision]. I don’t know. Possibly Christian didn’t actually say particularly what the rationale was. I didn’t care, actually. No matter they are saying, I don’t know if that’s true or not, to be sincere. And ultimately, I’m simply gonna… I simply instructed them how I really feel, how I’m nonetheless motivated for subsequent season, and that’s it.
“And afterwards, possibly I heard a few issues [about] the explanations, from different individuals. I can’t count on this to be about efficiency – there should be another excuse behind it. It’s what it’s. To be sincere, I form of ready myself, regardless that the scenario didn’t play out the way in which I needed. I used to be already ready beforehand so I wouldn’t, you already know, fully lose management.
“I simply give attention to the long run, on making an attempt to be a extra full driver normally – to not give them, or another staff, a cause to say, ‘Oh, you’re not good at this’ or ‘You’re not good at that – so we don’t take you.’”
Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Staff
Picture by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Pictures
Tsunoda continues to be one in every of simply 20 Formulation 1 drivers – a place many others would envy. But, having as soon as once more been missed by the senior staff and being satisfied the choice wasn’t primarily based purely on efficiency, he should really feel arduous finished by. However he insists his motivation hasn’t taken a success, even when his future prospects stay unsure.
“To be sincere, I’m now – surprisingly, even for myself – mentally in fairly the same place to the place I used to be final yr coming into the brand new season,” he says. “Actually centered on our staff, what we’re presently engaged on, how the automobile works. I suppose all I care about is the efficiency of our staff, fairly than different groups, [be it] Crimson Bull or no matter. I’m feeling good – possibly as a result of the primary race hasn’t began but. However I’m simply… I’m proud of my present place.
I simply beat Daniel [Ricciardo], and nonetheless… whoever is available in subsequent to me, he’s the one who will get thought of first
– Yuki Tsunoda
“I am positively motivated. I believe this yr, for positive… I’ll have a extra [defined] position when it comes to management. Final yr, at the beginning of the season, it was a bit 50/50, most likely barely leaning in direction of Daniel [in terms of who was seen as the team leader]. However I used to be capable of form of change that picture inside the staff all through the season. In the direction of the top, I used to be already beginning to be seen because the chief.
“This yr, there’s no different skilled driver within the staff, so for positive, the staff will depend on me extra. And it appears like there’s extra duty. So I positively wish to strengthen that picture inside the staff – I wish to assist, not simply when it comes to extracting efficiency from the automobile, however in guiding the staff’s general path. And [establishing] that management standing, I might say, is the principle goal I’ve to work on this yr. I wish to present that to the entire paddock, not simply my staff.”
Yuki Tsunoda together with his new team-mate Isack Hadjar
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
A technique or one other, if Tsunoda nonetheless holds hope of sooner or later being promoted to Crimson Bull, it’s vital for him to take classes on board.
“I nonetheless don’t know why,” he admits, although. “I nonetheless don’t absolutely perceive what brought about this choice. However I might say I perceive extra about Formulation 1 now. I imply, I perceive a part of the choice. However I simply… don’t observe. I simply stopped making an attempt to observe the rationale. The extra I give it some thought, the extra I begin to get confused.
“Like I mentioned, I believe I used to be ready [for it]. I used to be not… I wouldn’t say that I used to be offended. However, to be sincere, I used to be annoyed with the scenario throughout the season – particularly round Qatar, Texas, Mexico, that point of yr.
“Like, I used to be by no means actually the primary contender [for the seat]. It was at all times another driver. You realize, I simply beat Daniel, and nonetheless… whoever is available in subsequent to me, he’s the one who will get thought of first – regardless that he hasn’t raced a lot [in F1] but. So in these conditions, yeah, I used to be positively annoyed. And that’s why, partly, the choice doesn’t make sense in any respect.
Yuki Tsunoda crashed throughout Hungarian GP qualifying
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
“So yeah, it was fairly arduous to manage myself on the monitor – to not present frustration, to remain constant, to not… to not let it have an effect on my feelings an excessive amount of. That was the toughest half. However as soon as the season completed, I used to be solely excited about methods to present my efficiency.”
But, that appears to be the very cause Tsunoda was by no means critically thought of by Crimson Bull.
“The choice was primarily a query of psychological power,” Marko instructed Motorsport.com in Bahrain. “Round Mexico, Yuki sadly had his two accidents, and on the time, Liam did very properly. So we checked out all of the information.”
And Marko has a legitimate level. Tsunoda did, in truth, have two crashes in Mexico – one in qualifying and one other on the race begin – and Crimson Bull’s bosses had been free to take that as affirmation that, regardless of his expertise, he nonetheless tends to crack beneath strain.
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Whether or not he likes it or not – whether or not he understands it or not – if Tsunoda nonetheless desires that Crimson Bull promotion, there’s little level in dwelling on the previous. He wants to have a look at himself as properly.
There are indicators that he’s, certainly, making an attempt to alter issues. He has already reshuffled his administration staff. Make no mistake: there was most likely nothing Mario Miyakawa and Luis Alvarez may have finished to persuade Marko and Horner. In spite of everything, even having a heavyweight like Julian Jakobi didn’t assist Sergio Perez safe his seat as soon as Crimson Bull had made its choice. However maybe Tsunoda feels he wants a recent begin.
Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Staff
Picture by: Crimson Bull Content material Pool
“Formulation 1, it’s not nearly driving – it’s additionally about the way you behave within the paddock and the way you take care of groups normally,” he says when requested if he now understands the F1 world higher.
“In my first yr, I didn’t actually take into consideration these sorts of issues – apart from, you already know, [assuming] that monitor efficiency would form my picture. However from my second, third season onwards, I began to grasp and clearly work on these issues – that I needed to change myself or enhance.
“Particularly self-control. You realize, I used to lose management fairly simply in my first yr. However, I imply, final yr, I positively made an enormous step – I can confidently say that. And yeah, the picture you could have positively impacts all the pieces else. So I’m making an attempt to take a special strategy as properly [this year].”
I do know that I can carry out properly, and I’ll positively go above their expectations. And that’s what I’ve already finished within the Abu Dhabi take a look at
– Yuki Tsunoda
A part of his motivation now, Tsunoda admits, can also be to show Marko and Horner unsuitable.
“I imply, I don’t suppose individuals within the paddock see me clearly as being a staff chief, I might say – not absolutely 100% but,” he says. “So I simply wish to create that baseline for positive. Attempt to be as prepared as potential, and present good outcomes. After which, we’ll see the way it goes.”
Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Staff
Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Pictures
He’s additionally assured that his take a look at with the principle Crimson Bull staff in Abu Dhabi final yr – his first-ever outing with them – left no less than a number of individuals inside the group impressed.
“I believe I did very well in Abu Dhabi, which I’m fairly pleased about,” he says. “After that take a look at, I used to be simply proud of what I confirmed. I simply felt like I did what I needed to do. There aren’t many issues left [for them to be convinced]. So it’s as much as them. I’ll maintain working [in order] to not give any cause anymore [for them] to not give me the seat.”
In spite of everything, making an attempt to persuade Marko that he’s the chosen one might be Tsunoda’s solely actual possibility in F1 now.
“I believe it form of pertains to the solutions I gave you,” he smiles. “I imply, it is determined by this yr. However I’ve the arrogance that I can carry out normally – that’s why I took the purple [pill]. As a result of I do know that I can carry out properly, and I’ll positively go above their expectations. And that’s what I’ve already finished within the Abu Dhabi take a look at.
“I’m positive I will be greater than only a Crimson Bull driver for a number of years. I will be greater than that. So I see [myself] as a profitable driver.”
Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Staff
Picture by: Crimson Bull Content material Pool
On this article
Oleg Karpov
Formulation 1
Yuki Tsunoda
Crimson Bull Racing
Racing Bulls
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