Yuki Tsunoda says he’s concentrating on a podium spot at subsequent week’s Japanese Grand Prix as he reacts to his shock Pink Bull swap for the rest of the 2025 System 1 season.
As anticipated by Motorsport.com in China final weekend, Pink Bull confirmed on Thursday that it will promote Tsunoda to the seat alongside Max Verstappen which means Liam Lawson is again at Racing Bulls after two troublesome weekends in Melbourne and Shanghai.
However Tsunoda was fearful the possibility to drive for Pink Bull would by no means occur after 4 years and two grands prix with its satellite tv for pc workforce. But, having made a superb begin to 2025, the Japanese driver is now getting the nod proper in time for his dwelling race at Suzuka.
Talking in public for the primary time because the transfer was introduced at a Honda occasion in its Aoyama headquarters, Tsunoda stated the swap felt “’unreal” however he’s nonetheless extremely formidable for his debut.
“To be sincere, I by no means anticipated to be racing for Pink Bull on the Japanese Grand Prix,” Tsunoda stated.
“That is the ultimate 12 months of Pink Bull and Honda’s partnership, so attending to race in Suzuka as a Pink Bull Racing driver looks like destiny. Every thing has fallen into place in simply the proper approach for me to be standing right here as we speak.
Liam Lawson, Pink Bull Racing
Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photographs
“In fact, I used to be glad about becoming a member of Pink Bull, however after I considered it fastidiously, the concept of abruptly racing for Pink Bull on the Japanese Grand Prix felt so unreal.
“I don’t need to elevate expectations an excessive amount of, however for this Japanese Grand Prix, I need to end on the rostrum. That stated, I do know it gained’t be simple proper from the beginning.
“My precedence is to first perceive the automotive, the way it behaves in comparison with the VCARB. If I can naturally get pleasure from driving it as I get aware of it in FP1, then the outcomes will comply with. And if that results in a podium end, that may be unbelievable.”
Tsunoda has by no means pushed the RB21, so making his debut in Japan could possibly be labelled a poisoned chalice. However the 24-year-old says he’s embracing the big strain that comes with the seat, regardless of its historical past of chewing up drivers.
“After I first bought the decision, I believed: ‘Wow, that is going to be attention-grabbing,'” he stated. “Greater than something, I’m excited in regards to the problem forward.
“There aren’t many moments in life the place you face this type of excessive strain and a chance as large as this, so I can solely think about that it’s going to be an extremely thrilling race.
Yuki Tsunoda on the Pink Bull Showrun Taichung
Picture by: Pink Bull Content material Pool
“At first, I used to be too busy to even take the time to completely respect the thrill. I needed to soar straight into the simulator, do seat fittings, and deal with a whole lot of different preparations.
“In fact, getting promoted to Pink Bull is an incredible alternative, however earlier than the rest, I wished to speak to my engineers and the individuals who had supported me. So, regardless of all of the feelings, I really felt fairly calm.
“Since I used to be a reserve driver this 12 months, I had already carried out a seat becoming earlier than. However again then, I bear in mind pondering: ‘Why am I even doing this? I’m not going to be racing anyway.'”
From his simulator time, Tsunoda stated he did not discover this 12 months’s Pink Bull “that difficult to drive”, though he admitted his feedback on final 12 months’s automotive – which he examined in Abu Dhabi – suiting his driving fashion was “a little bit of a gross sales pitch” to Pink Bull.
“I spent about two days within the simulator. From that have, I didn’t discover the automotive to be that difficult to drive,” he defined.
“I undoubtedly bought the impression that the front-end could be very responsive, as folks typically say. However in case you ask whether or not it felt difficult to deal with, I wouldn’t say it gave me a very unusual feeling, a minimum of within the simulator.
“In fact, how I need to arrange the automotive might be completely different from Max. I need to develop my very own automotive set-up, get an excellent understanding of it, and step by step rise up to hurry from FP1.”
When Tsunoda’s mentor, former WTCC driver Ryo Michigami, stated he did not need to put an excessive amount of strain on him, he jokingly replied: “Sure, please pile on the expectations and strain!”
Learn Additionally:
On this article
Filip Cleeren
System 1
Yuki Tsunoda
Pink Bull Racing
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