Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing CEO, voiced his satisfaction with Yuki Tsunoda’s first outing in the Red Bull RB21. He commended the Japanese driver’s speed, despite a Q2 session that didn’t go as planned. Horner told Sky Sports that Tsunoda deserved a top-10 spot, even though he qualified 14th.

Tsunoda impressed in Q1, closely matching teammate Max Verstappen’s lap time. The Red Bull pair finished sixth and seventh, signaling strong pace. However, a red flag in Q2 disrupted Tsunoda’s rhythm, and he struggled with tire temperature on his final attempt after setting a solid first lap.

Horner acknowledged these challenges but was impressed with Tsunoda’s immediate competitiveness in the RB21. He noted that Tsunoda showed more promise than his predecessor, Liam Lawson, who consistently failed to advance beyond Q1. Horner believes Tsunoda has the potential to move up during the race and expects improved performances as he becomes more comfortable in his new role.

Horner commented on Tsunoda’s qualifying debut in the RB21 (via Sky Sports):

In Q1, he was competitive, within a tenth of Max. He didn’t improve in Q2, possibly entering Turn 1 too quickly. I believe he could have been in the top 10, but he can still perform well in the race. Overall, he has done a good job.

Tsunoda explained his difficulties in qualifying, stating that tire warm-up issues affected his performance and prevented a top-10 qualifying result.

Yuki Tsunoda Attributes Tire Warm-Up to Qualifying Struggles

Yuki Tsunoda believes that inadequate tire warm-up negatively impacted his qualifying performance for the Japanese Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver said he is still adjusting to the RB21 and learning to maximize its capabilities. Expressing disappointment in not fully harnessing the car’s potential, Tsunoda identified that tire temperatures falling outside the ideal range were a key factor in his Q2 exit.

As track temperatures decreased, several drivers struggled to optimize their tire temperatures. Tsunoda noted that his tire condition worsened in Q2, hindering his ability to improve upon his initial lap. Despite this setback, he remains focused on quickly adapting and improving during the race. He also opted for a high downforce setup, which likely affected his qualifying but could benefit him more during the race.

Tsunoda told F1TV:

The warmup didn’t go as I wanted, and I’m still learning. I thought it was ok, but the penalty was pretty big. It’s a shame I wasn’t able to extract the performance from the car. It was looking good from Q1, but everything got worse. The confidence in the car feels good, but I wasn’t able to put it all together.

Starting 14th isn’t ideal for Tsunoda, especially with Racing Bulls drivers Isaac Hadjar and Liam Lawson qualifying ahead of him.

However, with no winter preparation or preseason testing in the RB21, this weekend is about adapting and learning. Fortunately for Tsunoda, Suzuka offers overtaking opportunities, providing a chance to recover and potentially score points during the race.