Yuki Tsunoda Struggles to Impress in F1 as Pressure Mounts
Yuki Tsunoda’s journey in Formula 1 has been far from smooth sailing, with the young driver failing to make a significant impact at Red Bull, scoring a mere six points in five races. Despite managing to secure a single point at Imola, Tsunoda has openly admitted to grappling with the complexities of the RB-21 car and lacking confidence in his abilities behind the wheel.
In a candid confession, Tsunoda acknowledged, “It’s not easy to understand my car. I am aware that I need to build confidence and learn to extract its performance potential. We are currently operating at about 99%. If it weren’t for the accident, I would think there is still a lot of room to push the limits, but that was not the case.”
While Red Bull appears willing to give Tsunoda more time to prove himself compared to his counterpart Liam Lawson, the impressive performances of Isack Hadjar loom as a potential threat to Tsunoda’s position within the team.
Tsunoda’s patience contrasts starkly with Lawson’s abrupt departure, prompting speculation about the reasons behind Red Bull’s quick decision to part ways with the New Zealander. Some suggest it was more about attitude off the track rather than on-track performance. Conversely, Tsunoda seems to have flown under the radar, with the pressure of being compared to Verstappen easing compared to Lawson’s tenure. However, despite outperforming Lawson slightly, Tsunoda still trails behind Verstappen significantly and falls short in aiding the team’s title aspirations.
It remains evident that Tsunoda has yet to fully convince, with Hadjar emerging as a potential successor, unless the unpredictable driver market throws a curveball.
As Tsunoda grapples with the challenges of adapting to the demands of Formula 1, the spotlight intensifies, raising questions about his future within the competitive realm of motorsport.