Before making his Red Bull debut at his home race, Yuki Tsunoda outlined his objectives with his new team. “It’s basically to stay close to Max [Verstappen] for as long as possible, while the team can support different strategies during the race to achieve favorable results for the team,” Tsunoda explained. FIA press conference on Thursday.
All is going well so far.
During his first practice session on Friday, Verstappen clocked the fifth fastest time, while Tsunoda followed closely in sixth place. Tsunoda finished just a tenth behind Verstappen with a lap time of 1:29.623.
The dynamics changed in FP2, with Verstappen finishing 8th and Tsunoda dropping to P18, but the newest Red Bull driver couldn’t do a qualifying simulation due to red flags halting the session.
Speaking to the official F1 channel after FP1, Tsunoda shared his thoughts on his Red Bull debut.
“FP1 was better than I anticipated,” Tsunoda remarked. “It’s a solid starting point for me.”
“In FP2, I was unable to set lap times. I believe there’s still much to work on. I might have faced some difficulties or need to analyze the FP2 data, but overall, things are okay. I need to gain a bit more confidence.”
Reviewing the “track control” telemetry data from the fastest laps of each competitor in FP1, it’s evident how Tsunoda challenged Verstappen. The Japanese driver displayed notable strength in the second sector, particularly during the entry and exit of the hairpin at Turn 11.
From this speed comparison, it’s evident that Verstappen exhibited significantly more confidence navigating the challenging first sector. This was attributed to the reigning driver’s ability to stay outside the DRS range on Turn 1 and maintain speed through the “Esses.”
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Despite this, Tsunoda was assigned the goal of keeping as close as possible to his new teammate.
All is going well so far.
