Yuki Tsunoda has revealed that his initial impression is that he is able to cope with the car balance at Red Bull that his predecessors have struggled with in Formula 1.
Tsunoda endured disappointment on home soil in his maiden Red Bull race as he trailed home outside the points in 12th place in last weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.
The Japanese driver, who swapped with Liam Lawson, sustained an encouraging start at Suzuka as he lapped a little over a tenth slower than Max Verstappen in FP1.
But while he improved to less than a tenth down during Q1, Tsunoda rued poor tyre preparation thwarting him in Q2 as he was condemned to a premature elimination.
However, Tsunoda also revealed that he had reverted to a set-up more aligned with Verstappen, having trialled an aggressive direction that didn’t work during practice.
Tsunoda divulged that it was a variant that he had sampled in Red Bull’s simulator, one that gave him a newfound appreciation towards his new team-mate’s qualities.
“In terms of how I got on in the car, it’s still OK, it’s too early stages to say I’m able to drive comfortably or not,” Tsunoda told media including Motorsport Week.
“But I think I’m able to cope with the car balance that most drivers struggle with so far.
“Actually, we went to Max’s side rather than my set-up, which I thought would be good. Surprisingly, I’m able to drive quite well so I’m happy with it so far.
“The direction we tried in the simulator, which was a bit different [from] China to focus on calming down the rear, and the set-up we concluded in the end I felt was good.
“Also, Max felt pretty positive in the simulator, so in the end, also Max started with that direction which I quite liked as well already at Suzuka.
I went for a more extreme side in that direction and it just didn’t work out.
“It’s not like the set-up that Max used in China; China was a bit more specific because it was more front-end limitation.
“But Max’s set-up helps and I think that set-up probably in the simulator I feel definitely the trickiness. It’s incredible how he’s able to cope with that kind of set-up.”
Tsunoda reveals alternative Red Bull approach
Tsunoda attributed the woes he endured getting the tyres in the right window in Japan to not being accustomed to the greater emphasis Red Bull places on the driver.
“It’s a different approach,” he explained. “I feel like VCARB [Racing Bulls] will tell us how to do it, and Red Bull is more like they can adjust it from the out lap.
“It’s quite a different approach there and I wouldn’t say which is better or not, to be honest.
“There are a couple of things that feel like VCARB has an easier approach for the driver, more than Red Bull.
“But I think Max has had that approach for nine years, so he’s just able to naturally do it.
“I probably have a little bit of digging to work out what kind of approach I should take, and it’s an ongoing process, how we can do better as a team to make it a little bit easier.”
READ MORE – Yuki Tsunoda claims ‘everything’ went against him on Red Bull debut in Japan
