Yuki Tsunoda will be frustrated with his points total in 2025 so far. Both at Red Bull and VCARB, a combination of factors have prevented the Japanese driver from achieving better results.
In Australia and China, poor strategy from VCARB threw away potential top 6 finishes.
At Red Bull, meanwhile, misfortune in Jeddah and only having one run with fresh tyres in Japan qualifying have frustrated the 24-year-old.
Still, Tsunoda will be the first to admit his performance is not at the level he wants.
Looking ahead to this weekend’s Spanish GP. Tsunoda explains what he needs to address for his results to improve.
Tsunoda still adapting to the RB21
When Tsunoda was first promoted to Red Bull for the Japanese GP, there was no shortage of pressure – especially for his home race.
At the same time, though, Lawson’s tricky stint with the team created a new appreciation for the challenge Tsunoda would face.
All things considered, the #22 car has definitely shown flashes of being competitive enough to contend with the front-runners.
However, a series of mistakes – especially in qualifying – have become limiting factors for Red Bull’s newest addition.
There is also the issue of Tsunoda’s crash in Imola, which meant he competed in Monaco without the latest upgrades to the RB21.
The next sequence of races before the summer break will be crucial if Tsunoda wants to establish himself at Red Bull.
Another mid-season swap can essentially be ruled out, but a few top five finishes would certainly help cement his position in the team.
Speaking to the media in Barcelona, he explained what he is is working on:
“Understanding about the car is getting there.
“It comes down to experience. The last four years at [Racing Bulls] I know exactly what will happen, I can naturally react and drive fast.
“Those things will come, Imola made me realise how little understanding I had.
“It’s not that I lost confidence, I just need to slowly build up.”
A new variable for Red Bull to overcome
On paper, the Barcelona circuit is one of the most familiar for teams and drivers alike.
Teams have plentiful data for the Spanish GP – having raced at the venue for almost two decades and often ran in Barcelona for pre-season testing.
This weekend, however, the introduction of a new technical directive throws a spanner in the works for the entire field.
The impact of this new flexi-wing regulation is difficult to assess, especially since teams have capitalised on aerolasticity to varying degrees.
Still, it seems safe to assume it will have some effect on the grid.
Even a relative loss of a few tenths of a second – for example, between Red Bull and McLaren – could have dramatic implications.
In this sense, Tsunoda will be hopeful that Red Bull, who have spoken extensively about this directive, will gain from the new regulations.
Additionally, the characteristics of the Barcelona circuit should be more suited to the RB21 than Monte Carlo.
Should this materialise, it should give Tsunoda slightly more margin for error in his endeavours with the Milton Keynes squad.
Main photo: Clive Rose/Getty Images (via Red Bull content pool)
