Yuki Tsunoda Takes the Lead at Red Bull, Leaving Max Verstappen Behind!
In a surprising turn of events at the Budapest Grand Prix, Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda outshined his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen during Friday’s free practice sessions. Tsunoda claimed the spotlight by finishing in ninth place, almost a second behind Lando Norris. This unexpected performance marked a rare occasion where Tsunoda surpassed the usually dominant Verstappen within the Red Bull team.
Reflecting on his Friday sessions, Tsunoda acknowledged some positives but highlighted a significant issue plaguing his performance – a lack of grip. He expressed, “There were some positive aspects to take from the two free practice sessions on Friday. We saw an improvement in performance from FP1 to FP2, which is always a good sign. The problem we encountered was not actually the balance, but the grip, which was not as we would have liked. We were missing grip.”
During the second free practice session, the Red Bull team went to extreme lengths to address the grip issue, including adjusting the camber angle on Verstappen’s RB21. However, even after these attempts, it was concluded during the long run that the car was simply uncontrollable due to the lack of grip.
As Tsunoda steals the spotlight at Red Bull, the dynamics within the team seem to be shifting. With Max Verstappen being a consistent front-runner, Tsunoda’s brief moment at the top has certainly raised eyebrows in the Formula 1 community. Will this performance gap between the two drivers continue, or will Verstappen reclaim his dominance? Stay tuned for more updates as the Budapest Grand Prix unfolds!
