Why Tsunoda's private test didn't deliver what Red Bull hoped for

Yuki Tsunoda’s test in a 2023 Red Bull Formula 1 car at Silverstone last week didn’t deliver the anticipated step in understanding of the car thanks to the intervention of what he described as.“classic British weather”.

After his sudden promotion to Red Bull Racing in a seat swap with Liam Lawson, Tsunoda was pitched into an F1 triple-header in Japan, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

He admitted that “I’m not really understanding even half of” the car in Jeddah and the hope was that the TPC (testing of previous cars for machinery of 2021-23 vintage) running would accelerate his progress and augment the work he was able to do at Red Bull's Milton Keynes factory in the gap between races.

Although running in the wet could have been at least of some value, with race drivers limited to a combined total of four days and 1000 kilometres of TPC running in a calendar year, there was no intention to use any of that allowance in such conditions. There was also an unspecified car problem that impacted what dry running was available.

“I experienced the classic British weather,” said Tsunoda. “It started damp and we didn't bring any wet tyres because we didn't want to waste any mileage. So we waited quite a long time to get dry. And also, unfortunately, we had a bit of an issue in the end of the day as well, so we didn't drive much.

“But still a cool experience. To be honest, it's hard to feel the difference because it's completely different conditions and it's completely different characteristic corners compared to previous races. So also, I didn't want to really say something, [or give] stupid feedback to make confusion. So I told the difference I felt clearly, but other than that it was still a good test for me to get mileage.”

Tsunoda does not believe the test had any impact on his understanding of how to get the best out of this lineage of Red Bull cars in terms of set-up. However, he did concede that there might be a benefit in terms of confidence.

“Maybe just in terms of those things that naturally come into my brain and muscle memory,” said Tsunoda when asked if the TPC test has increased the extent to which he understands the 2025 Red Bull. “So once I hit the track, Miami probably feels maybe different.

“But in terms of understanding about the set-up [it wasn’t helpful] because it was just a really limited time. We wanted to do lots of changes of set-up, but couldn't manage to finish that stuff.

“Hopefully I have [experience of] a lot of movements going on with the car, oversteer, understeer, and hopefully that will give us slightly better confidence in this Miami Grand Prix.”

Tsunoda has always stressed that confidence behind the wheel is not a problem, which is supported by observing the way he is driving. While predecessors Lawson and Sergio Perez at times appeared overly cautious in the car, Tsunoda has not been. However, he feels he has yet to build enough experience to understand how the car will react when at the limit.

“I just need more time to get used to it fully,” said Tsunoda. “I’m happy with the progress so far and the confidence is quite there, but just when you push 100% on the limit in qualifying, which you face almost [for the] first time qualifying because you don't really push 100% until then, I experience a new kind of behaviour from my car and just not able to sometimes cope with it. I wouldn’t say the car is super, super difficult, it just needs more time to define where the limit is.”

Tsunoda made encouraging progress during the triple header, although that translated only into one points finish for ninth place in Bahrain. He would likely also have scored in Saudi Arabia but for the first-lap collision with Pierre Gasly that led to both retiring.

However, he’s still trying to understand the nuances of set-up of a car that he describes as having a “slightly sharper, narrower window” compared to the “more lenient” Racing Bulls cars.

“The setup I tried, for example, a couple of times in Suzuka just didn't work out,” said Tsunoda. “In the car, I feel quite good in terms of balance, but in terms of laptime, when I look, it just didn't really reflect the feeling I had.

“Those things just come from the experience and sometimes you have to accept the difficulties of the car. Sometimes, if you're feeling a lot of oversteer, a lot of understeer, if still the lap time is good, just stick to the direction.

“I just have to get used to it. Even the limit I still don't know yet exactly, because [in] Q3 last lap in Saudi I decided to push more and I had a massive snap, which I didn't expect. It will get there, but I just try to keep my head down and slowly build up.”