Yuki Tsunoda has highlighted a significant gap between Red Bull’s car and what he is used to following an early qualifying retirement at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Tsunoda was eliminated in the second half of his maiden qualifying session as a Red Bull driver, and he will start 15th on the grid, behind Liam Lawson.
Tsunoda demonstrated great pace during free practice, but a mistake on his penultimate lap in Q2 cost him a berth in the top ten.
The RB21 had outstanding pace, with Max Verstappen taking pole after setting a new lap record; nonetheless, the Dutchman used significantly less rear wing downforce than Tsunoda.
After qualifying, the Japanese driver claimed that he chose his rear wing level and that he was fast enough for Q3.
“It’s a little different from Max’s, but I ended up going with the wing level I wanted,” Tsunoda told Sky F1.
“Looking at the Q1 pace, there was still enough momentum to carry into Q3. I just couldn’t pull it together in the end.”
It was a poor start to his tenure with the Austrian team, especially at his home tournament.
Despite this, Tsunoda maintained he did not feel any substantial pressure and emphasized how tough the RB21’s shape is to acclimate to.
“Surprisingly, I think I feel okay in terms of pressure,” Tsunoda continued. “The final Q2 lap was perhaps the most pressure-filled of the previous sessions.
“I certainly felt the pressure more last year than this year; this year, I’m just more focused on enjoying it and feeling the vehicle.
“At the same time, I had pace from FP3, but I didn’t expect to be like this, and I ended up being eliminated like that today. It’s a shame, but at least I’ve learned more about the car.
“It’s tough to drive this automobile properly because it’s pretty narrow, more than a large car. At the very least, I feel confident in the car and know what to do in the future.
