Yuki Tsunoda’s move to Red Bull from the Racing Bulls midway through the 2025 season marked a huge step up in his Formula 1 career, but adapting to life alongside Max Verstappen, in a car that demands perfection, has proven to be a complex challenge and is learning from the Dutchman.
While Tsunoda immediately showed positive signs, such as breaking into Q2 at Suzuka and scoring points in Bahrain, the differences between mastering a midfield machine and taming Red Bull’s RB21 have become increasingly clear.
Red Bull’s current car is powerful but temperamental, built with the intent of providing a wider setup window, but it has instead exposed the intricacies that separate good drivers from the truly elite.
Since his arrival at Milton Keynes, Tsunoda has demonstrated flashes of speed and resilience. However, he has also admitted that fully understanding the RB21 remains a work in progress — particularly when it comes to one critical factor that Verstappen handles effortlessly: tyre management.
Tyre mastery remains Tsunoda’s biggest hurdle
Despite his growing confidence behind the wheel, Tsunoda acknowledges that he’s still learning how to prepare the Pirelli tyres optimally during qualifying sessions, an area where Verstappen excels.
“Max senses more things in the car than I do, like for example the tyre temperature when you leave the garage,” Tsunoda said. “When the temperature drops, he can adapt the warm-up lap, he knows how to warm up the tyres in each corner, maybe increase the pace or things like that.
More from the Singapore GP
Catch up with Total Motorsport's latest Singapore GP coverage, including Max Verstappen's victory at Marina Bay, Ferrari's costly strategy gamble, the full race classification, and the updated 2026 Formula 1 Drivers' and Constructors' Championship standings.
“I personally didn’t feel it that way. I couldn’t feel what I felt with the Racing Bulls. I still can’t feel it with this car, maybe just because I’m not driving completely relaxed.”
This difference in adaptability has been visible in the numbers. Tsunoda’s average qualifying deficit to Verstappen currently stands at around 0.762 seconds — better than Liam Lawson’s 0.913-second gap during his brief Red Bull stint, but still a sizeable margin in a field as competitive as Formula 1.
Tsunoda’s honest reflection points to deeper layers behind performance at the sharp end of the grid. It is not just about outright speed; the ability to adjust driving style lap-by-lap based on evolving conditions, and to manage micro details like tyre temperature windows, separates champions from contenders.
Mistakes like his Q2 errors at Suzuka and the Saudi Arabian GP have also shown the fine margins involved. Tsunoda is still adjusting to the RB21’s razor-sharp front-end, which reacts far more aggressively than the Racing Bulls car he started the season with.
Red Bull has helped fast-track his development by offering additional simulator work and RB19 testing to build mileage and deepen his connection with the car.
Tsunoda learning from Verstappen and Red Bull’s engineering team
Another element Tsunoda identified as crucial is strengthening his relationship with his race engineer, Richard Wood. Unlike Racing Bulls, where he had years to form a rapport with his team, Tsunoda’s Red Bull environment is new, and that trust and operational smoothness are still developing.
“It’s part of the learning process,” Tsunoda explained. “We have to make everything much smoother operationally: the warm-up of the tyres, the switches [on the steering wheel], all these things. Maybe Woody and I need to go out tonight and strengthen our relationship a little bit.”
The importance of a strong driver-engineer relationship cannot be understated — Verstappen’s long-standing bond with Gianpiero Lambiase, his trusted race engineer, has been credited as a key factor in the Dutchman’s dominance. Tsunoda understands that building similar synergy will be essential if he is to close the gap.
Despite the obvious learning curve, Tsunoda’s integration into Red Bull has been relatively swift compared to previous newcomers. He has already made it into Q3 and collected points, achievements that escaped Lawson during his short time at Red Bull earlier this year.
However, the Japanese driver remains self-critical, admitting that while he’s becoming more comfortable, he still doesn’t drive “completely relaxed” — an important step to unlock the final tenths he needs.
Red Bull’s management has so far been patient, recognising that adapting to the nuances of the RB21 and Verstappen’s benchmark pace is no small feat. And Tsunoda, with his openness to learning and evident work ethic, is determined to make the most of the opportunity.
As Red Bull continues to refine the RB21 in a season where McLaren and Ferrari have closed the performance gap, Tsunoda’s evolution could yet play a decisive role in the team’s battle for the Constructors’ title.
