Yuki Tsunoda will be on a fact-finding mission when he drives the title-winning Red Bull RB19 car in a private test at Silverstone later this week.

The Japanese driver says he’s hoping to pinpoint the key factor that made the RR19 so successful that it can then be incorporated into this year’s RB21.

Yuki Tsunoda seeks to uncover RB19 secrets

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Tsunoda, Red Bull’s long-time junior driver, stepped up to Red Bull ahead of round three of the F1 2025 championship, replacing the beleaguered Liam Lawson as Max Verstappen’s newest team-mate.

With the second RB21 yet to score a single point at that stage of the season, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said: “We acknowledge there is a lot of work to be done with the RB21 and Yuki’s experience will prove highly beneficial in helping to develop the current car. We welcome him to the team and are looking forward to seeing him behind the wheel of the RB21.”

His early races in the Red Bull, though, were all about finding his feet as Tsunoda had only spent one day in a Red Bull F1 car prior to his Japanese Grand Prix debut, having tested the RB20 in Abu Dhabi last year.

F1 2025 head-to-head stats

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates
👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates

Although he did have two days in the simulator, it is evident this season that what Red Bull are seeing back in the factory is not what is translating onto the track.

As such the team is giving a TPC day in the RB19 at Silverstone this week, the RB19 being the most successful car in F1 history having won all but one of a possible 22 races in 2023 as Verstappen stormed to a third consecutive World Championship.

The outing, which was already on the cards when Tsunoda was initially confirmed as Lawson’s replacement, is expected to give the driver and Red Bull a chance to test various setups and ideas ahead of the next race in Miami.

Tsunoda is hoping the RB19 reveals the secrets to its success that he can find the key to helping Red Bull improve this year’s RB21.

The 24-year-old will test the car at Silverstone and told the media, including PlanetF1.com, in Saudi of his upcoming outing: “Especially on tracks similar to the ones we’re going to drive in the coming races, so yeah, I’m excited for that.

“Also, if I can give some feedback from the RB19, what the key major factor was that made that car so successful, and apparently something we don’t have in the RB21, hopefully I can find it out.”

Having spent three weeks in the RB21, scoring two points, Tsunoda believes his confidence is growing as a Red Bull driver.

“It’s getting there,” he said. “I mean, confidence level, everything, still learning the process to finally get performance consistently with our car. But, yeah, slowly getting there.

“Once you step out, once you rush and try to get performance as possible work with this car, I don’t think it’s just the right approach. And I mean, I’m pretty happy with the how I’m doing so far, and, yeah, showing a good performance. So just to keep what I’m doing.”

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