Yuki Tsunoda elaborated on his Red Bull test drive and how it went which impressed the F1 team, but he is not too fussed about a senior team deal.

After years of driving the Visa Cash App RB car, Tsunoda finally got the chance to drive the Red Bull machinery in Abu Dhabi after Honda intervened and pushed for one. The idea was in place for months and had nothing to do with everything going around Sergio Perez.

But it came at an opportune time for Tsunoda, who got to drive the car at a time when negotiations are on with Perez about his future. The provisional F1 2025 entry list carries the Mexican’s name, but there is a slot open still at Visa Cash App RB along the Japanese driver.

Liam Lawson was only confirmed for the 2024 F1 season and there is no confirmation yet about 2025. Tsunoda, meanwhile, elaborated about his Red Bull test drive during the Honda Thanks Day in Japan. This took place over the weekend and there is no decision yet.

While he still hopes to get a drive with Red Bull, but he is not too fussed about the situation and will perform whoever he drives for. “No matter what car I’ll drive, I’ll do my best,” said Tsunoda. “I am not sure if its me, but it is 50-50. If I can get in Red Bull, that would be the best. Even in this situation, with everyone’s support, I am really thankful.

“No matter which team I drive for, I am still going to do the same. Maybe it will be Red Bull, maybe Visa Cash App RB, and hopefully they can up the development. It is not only about Red Bull, I am not sure where I’ll be but I’ll keep accumulating points and do my best. I feel like this is a good start and I have picked up my confidence, and to be able to stand on the podium in Suzuka would be amazing.

“I want to create a better me, so I can work towards that, maybe next year but I’ll try my best. I heard a lot about how impressed they were, particularly with my feedback. This came not only from the trackside engineers but also from the engineers supporting remotely from Red Bull’s factory in Milton Keynes. They mentioned how impressed they were with my input.

“That area was a key target for me. I believe Red Bull already understands that my speed isn’t much of an issue. Instead, what they’re more focused on is things like my feedback, my behaviour within the team, and how I conduct myself in the car. They probably saw those areas as the biggest unknowns.

“So while keeping that in mind, I continued to provide feedback as I always have, aiming to communicate as thoroughly and with as much detail as possible,” summed up Tsunoda, who then elaborated on the differences he saw between the two F1 teams and how the cars are different too in that regard. Post-test, he noted that the Red Bull suited his driving style.

“For a long run, the Red Bull is really fast,” started Tsunoda. “In F1, we are always talking about efficiency, when the car is to run straight, how the drag resistance is, and is it able to reduce the timing of the downforce and depending on the course, the wing behind will be used accordingly. So, the air resistance, we have to look at it overall and I think the Red Bull does have it.

“When you do long runs, especially in the high speed corners, you don’t have to correct it but doing those high speed corners, the sliding amount and by accumulating that, it actually changes how tyres appear at the end. Every single of the slide does count, and it really contributes to the time as well. Red Bull does have an edge over it. The less drag helps the car to go fast.

“Overall, even though the two teams are quite different, there are some similarities, particularly in the positive atmosphere. Our team feels very Italian – friendly with lots of physical gestures and interactions. Meanwhile, Red Bull also has a very energetic vibe, almost like being in a pub. If I were to give one example regarding the engineering process, Red Bull digs deeper into every comment I make.

“They don’t miss anything I mention, asking very detailed follow-up questions to explore even more specifics. “While they have this energetic image when it comes to engineering and the car, they’re incredibly thorough and detail-oriented.

“In a way, I think this precision aligns with the attention to detail often associated with Japanese people. I also felt a strong energy where everyone freely shares and exchanges comments without hesitation. That’s not to say our team doesn’t have that, but I think it’s an area where the two teams differ slightly,” summed up Tsunoda.

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Here’s Yuki Tsunoda on Red Bull test

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