Tsunoda 'didn't expect to race for Red Bull in Japan'... and is already aiming for the podium at Suzuka

After four years and 89 Grand Prix of waiting, Yuki tsunoda is finally a Red Bull driver! The Japanese driver has earned the promotion he so coveted within the parent team, after spending four seasons (and two Grands Prix) with Alpha Tauri / Racing Bulls. And while all seemed lost last December, when Liam Lawson was chosen to replace Sergio Pérez alongside Max Verstappen, and that the Japanese driver's career seemed to be heading towards a dead end, the New Zealander's poor performances in the first two meetings of the season propelled Yuki Tsunoda to Milton Keynes even before the end of March.

A promotion that comes very early in the season... and that even the main person concerned didn't see coming! “To be honest, I didn't expect to be racing for Red Bull at the Japanese Grand Prix, he said in his first public appearance since the announcement, at an event held by Honda at its Aoyama headquarters in Tokyo. This is the final year of the partnership between Red Bull and Honda, so racing at Suzuka as a Red Bull driver is a bit like destiny. Everything fell into place in the right way for me to be here today. I'm obviously happy to be joining Red Bull, but when I think about it carefully, the idea of ​​suddenly racing for Red Bull at the Japanese Grand Prix seems unreal!"

Podium goal at Suzuka

And for his first Grand Prix with Red Bull, in front of his home crowd, Yuki Tsunoda is ambitious: he is aiming for nothing less than a podium finish at Suzuka, on Honda's home turf, where he first came into his own when he was younger. "I don't want to generate too many expectations, but for this Japanese Grand Prix I want to finish on the podium, assumed the Japanese. That said, I know it won't be easy at the beginning. My priority is first to understand the car, how it behaves compared to the [Racing Bulls]. If I can naturally enjoy driving it by familiarizing myself with it in FP1, then the results will follow. And if that leads to a podium, that would be incredible."

While he's aware of the stakes and the pressure surrounding him in this new environment, which is much more hostile than at Racing Bulls, Yuki Tsunoda feels he's ready for the challenge of driving the second Red Bull, which many consider cursed. Above all, he'll have to measure up to the ruthless Max Verstappen, whose fifth teammate he will be since 2019. The expectations for Yuki Tsunoda are clear: the 24-year-old driver will have to bring home points every weekend to allow Red Bull to compete for the Constructors' Championship.

“When I got the call, I thought, 'Wow, this is going to be interesting!' More than anything, I'm excited about the challenge ahead., confided number 22. There aren't many times in life where you're faced with this kind of extreme pressure and such an opportunity, so I can only imagine it's going to be an incredibly exciting race. Initially, I was too busy to take the time to appreciate the excitement. I had to go straight into the simulator, mold the seat, and make all the preparations. Being promoted to Red Bull is obviously an amazing opportunity, but more than anything else, I wanted to talk to my engineers and the people who have supported me. Despite all the emotions, I felt calm."

Tsunoda at ease on board the RB21… in the simulator

Yuki Tsunoda had the opportunity to test himself behind the wheel of the RB20 at the end of last season, during the post-season tests in Abu Dhabi. At the time, he had notably assured that the Austrian single-seater suited his driving style rather well. However, in 2025, he has not yet taken a seat in the RB21, except through the simulator in Milton Keynes this week. A first discovery that was more positive than expected according to him.

"I spent about two days in the simulator. From that experience, I didn't find the car very difficult to drive, said Yuki Tsunoda, who nevertheless recognizes that the RB21 is a very sharp car. I felt like the front end was very responsive, as is often said. But if you ask me if it was difficult to handle, I wouldn't say it felt particularly strange, at least in the simulator. Of course, the way I want to set up the car is probably different from Max [Verstappen's]. I want to develop my own set-up, get a good understanding, and gradually build up the revs from the first free practice. » Next Friday, during Free Practice 1 of the Japanese Grand Prix, all eyes will be on the man who is tackling the biggest challenge of the moment in F1 : drive the second Red Bull.

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