Since his move to Red Bull Racing, Yuki Tsunoda has been grappling with issues that even his team cannot fully explain. The Japanese driver says he is satisfied with his performances on Saturdays, but on Sundays, his pace over longer distances noticeably drops off.
Tsunoda proves that he is capable of impressing over a single fast lap. In Monza, he made it to Q3, and his qualifying form is often not too far off from that of teammate Max Verstappen. “As far as the short runs are concerned, I am satisfied,” Tsunoda says in Baku. “In qualifying, I was only two-tenths behind Max, apart from Q3. I think that shows well what I can do, and people within the team certainly notice that.”
On Sundays, the picture is completely different. During the races, the speed is lacking and the tires wear out faster than expected. Even Red Bull is partly in the dark. “I mainly need to focus on the long runs,” Tsunoda explained. “The things we experience are things that even the team can’t really explain. We are working hard, both myself and the team, to get everything in order for the long runs. There may be things you can’t explain, but I’m trying everything to make it work.”
