After bullish claims following his simulation runs in the RB21 were followed by his on-track experience being a “bit more tricky” and then a “lot of difference”, Yuki Tsunoda believes he may have unlocked the key to Red Bull success.

Tyre prep.

Has Yuki Tsunoda found the key to Red Bull success?

Despite swapping Liam Lawson for Tsunoda after the New Zealander struggled in the opening two race weekends, Red Bull’s second RB21 has yet to score a single point this season.

Although Tsunoda made it out of Q1 at the Japanese Grand Prix, a feat Lawson had not achieved, his challenge fizzled out with him 15th fastest – and even slower than Lawson in the Racing Bulls.

Tsunoda made up two positions in a Grand Prix where overtaking was almost impossible, his two places putting him tied for second on the most overtakes of the race.

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But alas, up from 14th on the grid due to Carlos Sainz’s penalty, his P12 meant the second Red Bull is yet to get off the mark.

It heralded a notable change in tone from the 24-year-old Japanese driver.

Having declared after his simulator run in the RB21 ahead of his debut that he felt OK in the car, “if you ask whether it felt tricky to handle, I wouldn’t say it gave me a particularly strange feeling”, Tsunoda admitted on the Friday that it was “feeling a bit more tricky”.

But after the Sunday Grand Prix, his pre-Suzuka bullishness was muted to: “It’s quite a lot of difference, especially how to operate the tyres is a lot different.

“That was one of the things that made me struggle this weekend, but at least now I know what’s the reason, at least, and I just have to do better.”

It has Tsunoda believing that tyre management will be key to getting the second Red Bull F1 car off the mark at this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix.

“I learnt so much across the weekend in Suzuka,” he said. “I understand the RB21 so much better now and also how the team operate in different ways to what I have been used to.

“It’s down to me to apply that now and make sure I can perform and get the most from this car.

“Bahrain is a track we all know very well and will be totally different conditions to Japan, so I need to get up to speed quickly and ensure qualifying goes well this week.

“I think if I can understand our tyre prep better then I can put the car in a better place for race day and hopefully score the points and performance I know we are capable of.”

A quieter weekend with less pressure on the sole Japanese driver on the Formula 1 grid will also help.

“I am looking forward to being in Bahrain this weekend and having time to fully focus on racing with my team,” he added.

“I loved having my home race but I am equally excited to have a quieter week in Bahrain to get to grips with this car properly, really work with my team and settle into life with Oracle Red Bull Racing.”

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