“I’m happy more than ever at the moment”: Yuki Tsunoda makes his feelings known after Red Bull test drive in Abu Dhabi
Yuki Tsunoda recently expressed how he felt after driving Red Bull's RB20 for the first time. The Racing Bulls (RB) driver got the chance to do so during the 2024 post-season testing in Abu Dhabi.
Since 2021, Tsunoda has been driving for Red Bull's B team and fighting for points in the midfield. Whenever Sergio Perez's form dipped in recent years, questions arose whether Tsunoda or any other Red Bull junior would replace him. However, the Japanese driver remained in RB.
In 2024, Red Bull finally chose Yuki Tsunoda to drive their car for post-season testing at the Yas Marina Circuit while rumors around Sergio Perez's departure crescendoed.
Speaking about his maiden drive with Red Bull, he expressed that he was delighted to be able to get in the RB20 and test it around the track. He thanked the team for setting up the car for him and said that he had fun in the Austrian team's garage.
"We have had a very proactive day today so I am really happy with that. There is still a lot of learning that I have to do, but the team have done a great job of preparing such a great run today. It's been such an enjoyable atmosphere in the garage," Tsunoda said. (via The Race)
"I am happy more than ever at the moment, and making sure that the team have the information that they require from each run was the most important thing to get out of today," he added.
F1's post-season tests are usually regarding tires, varied fuel runs, and different setups. Hence, the timings of the nine-hour-long session do not determine the actual pace of the car or the driver. Out of 23 cars, Yuki Tsunoda was placed in P17 with the best lap of 1:24.689. The Japanese racer drove 127 laps around the Yas Marina Circuit.
Yuki Tsunoda speaks on the difference between his RB car and Red Bull's RB20
After the post-season tests at Abu Dhabi, Yuki Tsunoda explained how different the RB20 felt compared to an RB car which he has been driving for four years. Speaking to the media, he said that the tire degradation felt less compared to his cars.
“You can physically feel why the RB20 has been fighting for a championship this year, I feel a clear difference to what I was driving [before]. The tyre degradation was feeling much less compared to what I had in the previous car - that was much more sensitive and extra," Tsunoda said.
When asked whether he was able to adapt to the RB20, he confidently added:
“I think so, to be honest I didn’t really struggle much to adapt. I didn’t have much dirty laps. On the long runs I have been able to run consistently and straight away felt the limitations of the car, which if you don’t have confidence in the car you can’t feel any limitations."
As of now, Red Bull has been tight-lipped about Yuki Tsunoda's future with them. Though it is confirmed that he will continue in F1, rumors continue to fly around that he could also replace Sergio Perez in Red Bull next year.