Verstappen is known as a driver who demands a sharp front end from his cars, and Red Bull has naturally tuned the car to these characteristics during Verstappen’s nine years with the team.
Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Sergio Perez and Liam Lawson have all left or been sacked as Verstappen’s teammates. Gasly and Lawson were sacked mid-season in 2019 and 2025 respectively.
Tsunoda performed well on his debut at the Japanese GP, replacing Lawson, but failed to score any points in the tough race where overtaking was impossible.
Reflecting on the situation and the demands Verstappen placed on the car, Tsunoda explained how he felt the “toughness” in the world champion’s set-up when he tested it on the simulator.
“As for my driving experience in the car, it’s still OK. It’s too early to say whether I can drive comfortably or not, but I think I can handle the balance in the car, which most drivers have struggled with so far,” Tsunoda told media including RacingNews365.
“We actually went with Max’s side rather than my set-up [in Japan], which I thought was good. Surprisingly, I can drive quite well, so I’m happy with it so far.
“Max felt quite positive in the simulator, so eventually Max started in that direction in Suzuka, which I also liked, but I went for a more extreme side in that direction and it just didn’t work out.
“It’s not like the set-up that Max used in China, which was more specific because it was more limited at the front, but Max’s set-up helps [the rear] and I think with that set-up, probably in the simulator, I definitely felt the difficulty.
“It’s incredible how he handles such a configuration. Even in the simulator I have the feeling that it’s not an easy car.”
Tsunoda also further explained the differences between Red Bull and his old Racing Bulls team in terms of trackside operations, and how the latter can make things “easier”.
“It’s a completely different approach,” Tsunoda said.
“I feel like VCARB will tell us how to do it, and Red Bull can adjust it earlier from the outlap. It’s a completely different approach there and I honestly wouldn’t say which one is better or not.
“There are a few things that seem to suggest that VCARB has an easier approach for the driver than Red Bull. I think Max has known that process for nine years, so he can just do it naturally.
“I probably still have to dig a little bit to warm up [for] what approach I should take, and it’s an ongoing process, how we as a team can do better to make it a little bit easier.”
