For Yuki Tsunoda, who was suddenly promoted to Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen, the upcoming Grand Prix weekend in his home country of Japan promises to be intense. Despite the numerous pitfalls and challenges that await him, he remains unshaken.
Even at the entrance of the circuit, a hotbed of fervor for the most passionate Japanese fans, one has to search to find traces of the man who could become a new national hero this weekend, joining the ranks of Aguri Suzuki or Kamui Kobayashi, his two compatriots who managed to climb onto a podium here (1990 and 2012). In front of the old traffic police, the swarm of fans is almost entirely red on the left, supporting the new Scuderia driver, Lewis Hamilton, or orange on the right, cheering on the two McLaren drivers (Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri). In this small Friday crowd that will grow until Sunday, there is no sign yet of any “Yuki Mania”.
Of course, two huge photos at the end of the imposing main stand, just behind the blooming cherry trees, remind everyone that Yuki Tsunoda became, just last week, Max Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull. Of course, Honda hostesses are trying to distribute the driver’s flag in the vast catchment area at the entrance to the amusement park. Naturally, as in previous years, the circuit store is successfully selling merchandise bearing the Japanese driver’s name, including a beautiful t-shirt with sakuras, the famous local cherry trees. Red Bull caps bearing his likeness were, however, sold out by the end of the day.
But, and there is a “but”, Suzuka is not yet buzzing for the man it had long cheered a year ago for his very modest tenth place. His transfer has likely caught fans off guard, much like those Racing Bulls caps, special Japan edition, bearing the number 22 even though he is no longer part of the Faenza troops.
In the paddock, however, he has been the center of attention since Thursday. One only had to attend the FIA conference that same day, where he was bombarded with questions for thirty minutes, or see the swarm of Japanese journalists besieging him in the Red Bull hospitality area.
At 24 years old, the Sagamihara native faces the biggest challenge of his not-so-young career (with already 89 starts under his belt): not to succumb to Verstappen’s dominance and the curse of car number 2. This car has seen, since Daniel Ricciardo‘s departure, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Sergio Perez, and most recently Liam Lawson, disappear from the equation. Here’s why Tsunoda could succeed where others have failed.
Because he has the mental strength
Despite an overflow of emotions that he has a habit of venting publicly, the Japanese driver has always been tough. Raised in the Helmut Marko school, which bans all sentiment, he is clearly prepared for the worst. “I found it very brutal last year,” Tsunoda confessed in a press conference on Thursday. “The way they chose Lawson over me, it was very harsh.” The jab is placed so that he is not accused of having “stolen” the seat from the New Zealander, who was abruptly demoted last week.
The young man is clever and perfectly advised. “As soon as I heard the news, I called Yuki Tsunoda,” Gasly told us on Thursday. “I know he’s fast because I’ve been his teammate for two years. And I’ve always said he deserved this seat. Since I’ve experienced what he’s going to go through, I wanted to warn him. Every experience is different, but there are some fundamentals that don’t change at Red Bull. I gave him two or three tips so he knows how to react. If he’s put in good conditions, I sincerely believe it can work for him. He just needs to be patient.”
A quality that is not the Japanese driver’s strong suit, and even less so for his team, which is forced to react quickly. “I know it’s a big challenge,” the Japanese driver continues. “And I’ve prepared for it. I know exactly what to expect. And racing in front of my home crowd doesn’t change anything. I saw the crowd’s enthusiasm in Tokyo when we did the demonstration on Tuesday. Despite the rain, they were there in numbers. But I’m not worried. When I walked into the Red Bull hospitality area for the first time this morning (Thursday), I only thought about one thing: my breakfast. Not for a second did I think about this pressure you all keep talking about!” This statement encapsulates Tsunoda: his passionate love of gastronomy, his unwavering confidence, and above all the immense pride of those who believe in their destiny.
Because he is wary of the car
Since Gasly replaced Daniel Ricciardo in 2019, Red Bull’s car number 2, the one that sleeps next to Verstappen’s car, seems to be cursed. The other RB, whether it was 15, 16, 18, 19, or even 20, seemed not to respond to its successive drivers (Gasly, Albon, Perez, and Lawson). As if it was built differently from its neighbor, the Dutchman’s car, or as if the world champion was the only one able to tame it.
Verstappen’s Insight and Tsunoda’s Challenge
“I can’t tell you if our car is different from the others,” Verstappen attempted to explain. “After all, I’ve hardly ever driven another F1 car other than a Red Bull” (he joined in 2016 during the Spanish GP after a season with Toro Rosso, at the time the other team of the energy drink seller). “What I can tell you, however, is that the car this year is twitchy and unstable in some corners.” This was his way of explaining Lawson’s difficulties on two tracks he was unfamiliar with and setting the stage for the immense challenge awaiting his replacement.
Podcast: Is the Second Red Bull Seat Cursed?
Last week, the Japanese driver was at Milton Keynes (UK), at the team’s headquarters, to test the “naughty” car on the simulator. “I tried it and it didn’t seem exceptionally tricky. But I understood why some drivers found it difficult,” Tsunoda cautiously admitted. “I was able to try a lot of settings. And I felt it sliding from the rear. Here, at Suzuka, if I lose it, it could hurt.” The new Red Bull driver therefore started off gently. During the first free practice, the only real session of the day (the second was interrupted by four red flags), he kept repeating this to his engineer, finishing a tenth behind his team champion.
Understanding the Team
Red Bull is not sentimental. Everyone knows this and Tsunoda has already learned it the hard way. So, in order to counter possible harsh attacks from the management, the Japanese driver played it smart, blaming first. “It’s funny,” he feigned surprise. “Before, I used to get a lot of calls from ‘Doctor Marko’. But now, nothing. I haven’t had a call for a week.”
Half an hour later, as he was finishing with the Japanese media, Alice, now his press officer, came to fetch him to answer a call from the Austrian bigwig. Tsunoda could calmly start his weekend, publicly endorsed by the man who has made generations of drivers tremble. Especially since he, at the same time, bowed down to the other boss of the team.
“Christian (Horner, boss of Red Bull) warned me that the team operates in a certain way,” he concluded. “The priority is Verstappen. And I understand that very well.” So there’s no question of trying to challenge the number one teammate. Just quietly integrate. On Thursday evening, he went to give each mechanic a special edition white cap for the weekend. A way to buy a little peace, even if he were to make a few carbon chips…
