At Spa-Francorchamps, Yuki Tsunoda achieved his best qualifying result since his promotion to the Red Bull team in March. The Japanese driver will start the Belgian Grand Prix in seventh place, partly thanks to the upgrades that were fitted to his RB21 just before the session. Tsunoda’s good qualifying result also brought a smile to the face of Laurent Mekies, reminding the Japanese driver of his Racing Bulls days.
While all eyes were focused on the battle for pole position between the McLarens, Max Verstappen, and Charles Leclerc, Yuki Tsunoda quietly drove the best qualification of his career as a Red Bull driver. The Japanese driver had a new floor fitted to his RB21 just before the session, the same one teammate Verstappen is already using, and was subsequently less than four-tenths slower than the four-time world champion.
After the qualifying session, the Japanese driver immediately thanked his team for the upgrades. “The team gave me the updates at the very last moment,” Tsunoda revealed to Sky Sports. “The upgrade is definitely a big step forward.” The driver doesn’t mind that Verstappen received the updates earlier. “We’re pushing as a team, and, you know, Max is fighting for the championship. I’m miles behind, so it makes sense that he gets the upgrades first.”
Mekies’ Smile
However, the upgrades are not the only change for Tsunoda during the weekend in the Ardennes, as Laurent Mekies is also standing at the pit wall for the first time as Red Bull team boss. The Japanese driver had previously worked with the Frenchman at Racing Bulls. “When I was at Racing Bulls, he always laughed when I made it to Q3,” Tsunoda recalls. “And that happened again today. He showed me that I did well. It was a nice flashback to the Racing Bulls days.”
