As the 2025 Formula 1 season revs up, Yuki Tsunoda of Racing Bulls admits that the team is not entering the new season from the same position of strength it enjoyed a year ago. Despite ongoing efforts to advance their new car, the desired progress has fallen short, leaving them in a slightly precarious position.
In 2023, Racing Bulls showcased significant momentum, emerging as the most competitive team among a closely matched midfield. Their late surge in the season was a testament to their tenacity and strategic prowess. The team, based in Faenza, Italy, was on the cusp of catching up to Aston Martin. However, an accelerated upgrade package for the Spanish Grand Prix led to unanticipated complications, stalling their momentum.
The team’s performance dwindled in the subsequent nine rounds, scoring a meager six points compared to their initial 28 in the opening nine rounds. The team’s decision to revert to older components in a bid to stabilize their performance had the opposite effect. Their competitiveness waned and left them lagging behind rivals Alpine and Haas, relegating them to the eighth position.
Despite these setbacks, Racing Bulls demonstrated resilience by introducing new developments later in the season. However, the early-season misstep had already tipped the scales, proving to be a costly error.
Tsunoda, however, remains optimistic about the VCARB 02, the team’s latest car. He acknowledges it as an improvement over its predecessor, but concedes it might not start the 2025 season as competitively as they had hoped.
“In comparison to the first half of last season, we might not hit the ground running with the same level of performance,” Tsunoda admitted, speaking to a group of journalists, including those from Motorsport Week.
Racing Bulls has also grappled with issues during the testing phase. Despite completing a commendable 454 laps, the team ran into problems with the brakes that led to Tsunoda spending some time in the garage. However, the Japanese driver remains unperturbed, understanding that identifying and addressing these issues during tests will help prevent future complications.
Tsunoda expressed his surprise at the test results but remained positive about the future, “We had some rough patches and things didn’t always go as planned, but that’s what testing is for. It’s beneficial to uncover these problems now to prevent them in future races.”
While Racing Bulls faces a challenging start to the 2025 F1 season, Tsunoda’s optimism and the team’s resilience promise an exciting journey ahead. As they navigate these early challenges, fans and competitors alike will closely watch their progress. Will the Racing Bulls charge back with renewed vigor, or will they continue to feel the pressure of lagging behind their rivals? Only time will tell.