Yuki Tsunoda believes he nonetheless wants extra time to push the Crimson Bull Components 1 automobile to the utmost after a combined begin to life on the crew.
The Japanese driver began the 2025 season with sister squad Racing Bulls, however then changed the underperforming Liam Lawson at Crimson Bull after simply two grands prix.
Though Tsunoda has been an enchancment on Lawson, the 24-year-old has solely scored two factors in his three grands prix aboard the difficult-to-drive RB21 – citing qualifying as an space to enhance as he struggles to become familiar with the automobile.
“It simply wants extra time, I suppose, to get used to it absolutely,” mentioned Tsunoda forward of this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix.
“I feel I am pleased with the progress up to now, and I feel the boldness is sort of there. However simply whenever you push 100% on the restrict in qualifying, which you form of face virtually [for the] first time in qualifying, proper? Since you do not actually push 100% till then.
“In qualifying, more often than not up to now, I skilled a brand new form of behaviour from my automobile and simply not in a position to typically address it. However I would not say the automobile is tremendous, tremendous tough, it simply wants extra time and to outline the place the restrict is.”
Yuki Tsunoda, Crimson Bull Racing
Picture by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Pictures
Tsunoda has arguably taken on essentially the most tough job in F1, which is being the team-mate of four-time world champion Max Verstappen, whose very explicit driving fashion requires a sure sort of automobile.
Lots of his team-mates have struggled to deal with this, and Tsunoda joined a Crimson Bull squad that was combating its equipment, as discrepancies between the monitor and the crew’s wind tunnel resulted in points with the automobile.
“I’d say it is not difficult to drive round,” Tsunoda added. “It is not simple, for certain, [but] what I felt within the VCARB was a bit extra lenient and a bit extra forgiving with any instructions.
“Positively Crimson Bull has a sharper, form of narrower window that they’ll kind, which I feel being a window to drive round remains to be not simpler than a VCARB, however higher than I believed initially after I jumped into Crimson Bull.”
Whereas off the tempo in contrast with Verstappen, Tsunoda is studying. He scored his first factors for Crimson Bull with ninth in his second race in Bahrain, however then crashed out per week later in Saudi Arabia.
Now, as he prepares to enter his fourth race with Crimson Bull, Tsunoda mentioned he is aware of what he “desires to work on” so as to become familiar along with his new automobile, however conceded that race-winning tempo received’t be simple to come back by.
“Generally you simply have to simply accept the form of difficulties of the automobile,” he mentioned. Generally for those who’re feeling form of somewhat oversteer, somewhat understeer, if nonetheless lap time is nice, simply in all probability stick with the route.”
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On this article
Owen Bellwood
Components 1
Yuki Tsunoda
Crimson Bull Racing
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