Yuki Tsunoda pinpoints what makes Max Verstappen great even when the chips are down

Yuki Tsunoda believes Max Verstappen’s ability to extract performance from the RB21, regardless of its limitations, is what currently sets the benchmark within the team. Speaking to media, including Sportskeeda in Saudi Arabia, the Red Bull Racing driver highlighted the contrast in approach between himself and the four-time world champion when it comes to understanding and adapting to the car.

Having only completed two race weekends in the RB21, Yuki Tsunoda admitted he is still in the process of adapting to the car and the team’s systems. He pointed out that Verstappen’s strength lies in managing and adjusting key elements such as tyre pressures and temperatures, not just during the out-lap, but even from one qualifying segment to another, something Tsunoda felt he could do instinctively in the VCARB but not yet in the RB21.

The Japanese driver acknowledged that while he is still building his comfort level with his new tools, Verstappen is already capable of tweaking the car setup and tyre handling on the go. He noted that areas like tyre warm-up procedures and general feel on track are where his teammate’s deeper understanding of the car plays a decisive role, especially when the car is not at an optimal level. Tsunoda admitted that he is still searching for that same connection with the RB21 and that replicating the comfort Verstappen has with the car is a key part of his ongoing learning process.

Asked by Sportskeeda what his observations were of Verstappen in terms of approaching the car when it was at a suboptimal level, Yuki Tsunoda said:

“Yeah, I think it's like he can feel more than myself in the car, like how the tire temp [temperature] looks like, getting out of the garage.Qualifying's a good example that [when] temps are going low, lower and lower throughout qualifying, he adjusted, Q1 to Q3 - when the temperature's going lower, he adjusted himself in the warm-up, how he should warm up, how he should put pressure into the tyres in each corner to increase the lap time or increase the pace of the outlap or whatever. Inside for me, I didn't feel it that way. I wasn't able to feel what I did in the VCARB. I wasn't able to feel in this car yet, because probably just I'm not fully relaxing, driving this car.”

Explaining his feeling and adaptation process with the car, Yuki Tsunoda said:

“I just try to I don't know I’m just feeling like I am still rushing and not fully in control yet. So those things I mean, I kind of expected it, so I'm not really like, "Oh, what is this?”. And actually, I’m in the shape that I'm happier than more than I expected. So it's not like, like I said, I'm rushing, but it's not really rushing. But I think that kind of few details is really important with this current regulation, which is very sensitive tire, and even the one -tenth, a few milliseconds in each corner will make it different.”

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Yuki Tsunoda claims it does not take him a lot of effort to match Max Verstappen

Yuki Tsunoda has claimed that matching Max Verstappen’s pace in the RB21 hasn’t required a monumental effort, crediting the similarity in their driving styles for making setup alignment easier. The former VCARB driver noted that the minimal gap in their styles has allowed both Red Bull drivers to work within a common downforce window that suits them, despite experimenting with different levels over the past two race weekends.

Tsunoda shared that one of the key objectives within the team is to achieve more consistent downforce levels throughout a race weekend—a factor he believes would allow him to build up pace more smoothly and predictably. He admitted that fluctuating downforce characteristics made it difficult to extract performance session to session, especially as he continues to adapt to the RB21.

While both Red Bull drivers have been testing various setup configurations to optimise the car’s tricky behaviour, Tsunoda’s ability to stay close to Verstappen’s pace has already been a notable improvement compared to his predecessors. His early performance indicates that despite the challenges of a team switch and limited preparation, he’s found a quicker path to competitiveness within the reigning champions’ garage.

Asked if there were times when he wondered how Verstappen was able to perform even on days when the car was not at its optimum best, Tsunoda said:

“The funny thing is last two Grand Prix we were running different downforce [levels]. So it's hard to tell, but not so far not much I would say. I mean I’m sure how the car condition is, already the car condition is definitely, I'm not putting a massive effort to make it as close as possible. I guess it slightly a disability as well, but at the same time it's not, we need range that we can accept and I can for sure accept. So far his driving style actually is, how the brake shape and the releasing part everything is quite close. I mean I never thought about how the driving style between us and but so far, it's not too far away.”

Asked if he ran more downforce levels than his teammate, Tsunoda said:

“Yeah. Because it's the same as Suzuka just didn't want to make it inconsistent. He went lower and I went higher. So it's always a bit of the offset between, that’s also one of the weaknesses or the things that we want to achieve to be consistent throughout the week. Especially downforce level, which is so far going up and down from the last Grand Prix, since I joined at least. So if I can have a consistent downforce in the car, I can also build up a bit of pace more smoothly.”

For Yuki Tsunoda, adapting to the RB21 remains a work in progress, especially when compared to his teammate Max Verstappen, who has significantly more experience and confidence with the car. Despite that disparity, Tsunoda has impressed by staying closer to the reigning champion than previous teammates like Sergio Perez or stand-in driver Liam Lawson, both in qualifying and race pace.

In Bahrain, Yuki Tsunoda picked up his first points as a Red Bull Racing driver, marking a milestone in his transition from the junior team. Across the first four race weekends of the 2025 season, he has scored a total of six points—four with VCARB and two with Red Bull. His adaptability and performance consistency, even without the benefit of a full pre-season with the team, have been noteworthy.

Red Bull Racing currently sits third in the constructors’ standings with 71 points, trailing championship leaders McLaren by 80 points. While there’s still ground to cover, Tsunoda’s steady integration and competitive edge offer encouraging signs for the team as they work to close the gap.