Yuki Tsunoda faced a challenging weekend during his Red Bull debut at the Japanese Grand Prix. Showing promise in qualifying, his frustration was evident as he missed out on scoring points on his home circuit, where expectations ran high.
The weekend began on a positive note as Tsunoda demonstrated strong performance in the first practice session, finishing a mere tenth behind his new teammate Max Verstappen. Despite this, he struggled to maintain such momentum in the qualifying rounds, finishing in 15th place after exiting in Q2.
Sunday’s race saw slight improvements for the 24-year-old driver. Starting from 14th on the grid due to Carlos Sainz‘s penalty, Tsunoda managed to overtake his former teammates Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly, securing a 12th place finish. Meanwhile, Verstappen’s solid pace secured him the victory, marking his first win of the season.
Reflecting on his performance, Tsunoda expressed disappointment over the missed opportunity in front of his home fans. After four years with Red Bull’s junior team, Tsunoda was called to join the senior team, replacing Lawson just two races into the 2025 season. With Lawson returning to Racing Bulls, Tsunoda faced the daunting task of adapting to the RB21’s challenges.
Despite the results, Red Bull’s team principal Christian Horner remained optimistic about Tsunoda’s integration into the team, suggesting a promising future. The young driver’s effort, although not culminating in points, captured the attention of fans and experts alike during the weekend.
Red Bull’s advisor Helmut Marko shared his perspective on Tsunoda’s performance during the race weekend. In a post-race interview, Marko emphasized Tsunoda’s potential and confirmed his continued presence with Red Bull for the rest of the 2025 season. Currently, in the driver standings, Tsunoda holds the 14th position with three points, whereas his teammate Verstappen is second with 61 points.
The adaptation to Red Bull’s demands brings both challenges and opportunities for Yuki Tsunoda. While his debut didn’t yield the desired results, the lessons from this experience are set to shape his future performances. As the season progresses, much anticipation revolves around Tsunoda’s ability to turn early struggles into success and contribute to the team’s overall ambitions in the highly competitive Formula 1 landscape.
