On the eve of his Red Bull debut at his home Grand Prix in Japan, Yuki Tsunoda acknowledged the challenges of the RB21 but is fired up for the weekend. His goal? A podium finish right away.
After several attempts, Yuki Tsunoda has finally made it to Red Bull. He wasn’t chosen when Perez’s seat was at risk in previous years, and the team decided to keep the Mexican. He was also overlooked last December when Milton Keynes opted for Liam Lawson instead. Despite the disappointment of being passed over, Tsunoda kept working hard—and it paid off. After just two races this season, Lawson was demoted to Racing Bulls, and the Japanese driver was finally promoted to the senior team alongside Max Verstappen, earning his first shot in a top-tier team.
The pressure on his shoulders will be immense: since Verstappen joined Red Bull, no other driver has performed well in the same car. Moreover, for nearly a year now, the car hasn’t been the dominant force it was in 2022 or 2023. Nonetheless, Tsunoda’s excitement—and that of all of Japan—is through the roof.
“The past week has been pretty crazy,” Tsunoda explained, as reported by Motorsport.com Japan. “When I found out I would be driving for Red Bull, I was very happy, excited, and full of motivation. Driving for this team is an honor, and the fact that I’ll be making my debut with them at my home race makes it even crazier.” .
“It’s going to be a tough week. I’m excited, but I also feel the pressure of the challenge. This is a big step forward in my career and something I’ve been striving for,” commented the number 22, who just a few days ago, at a Honda event, declared: “In Japan, I’m aiming for the podium.”
“The team is telling me to keep doing what I’m doing, and that I’ll be fine. I need to get as close as possible to Max to help in the fight for the Constructors’ Championship. I’m aware of the challenges of the RB21—my job is to understand them better and keep developing the car.”
“The first challenge will be getting used to the car. I’ve already driven it in the simulator, but FP1 will be my first time in the real thing, so I need to adapt quickly. I’ve been working with the team in the UK since last week to prepare as best as possible, and I aim to bring this mindset to Suzuka as well.”
“I want to maximize the result this weekend for the team and take advantage of everything I’ve learned from Max. I want to be fast and provide a lot of feedback to make the car more competitive,” concluded the 2000-born driver, who will race this weekend with a special helmet for his home Grand Prix, inspired by the ‘Shibaraku’ motif from the traditional Kabuki theater.
The front part of the helmet is decorated with “kumadori,” a unique type of makeup used in Kabuki, while the design on the back resembles the “Nio sash,” a type of belt worn by actors on stage. Finally, the famous Kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjūrō XIII hand-drew the number 22 on the helmet.
Photo: Oracle Red Bull Racing, Red Bull Shop, Yuki Tsunoda
