Tsunoda fails to meet his own expectations after Red Bull debut: 'Work to be done'

Yuki Tsunoda has stated there is 'work to be done' after he made his official debut with Red Bull Racing last weekend. Although the Japanese driver didn't quite reach his expectations, he is hoping for more in the near future.

Yuki Tsunoda kicked off his home Grand Prix weekend in promising fashion, securing an impressive sixth place in the first free practice session—just behind new teammate Max Verstappen. However, the momentum didn’t carry through the rest of the weekend. He slipped to P18 in FP2 and managed P9 in FP3. In qualifying, Tsunoda could do no better than 15th, ending up behind both Racing Bulls. On race day, he crossed the line in 12th, while Verstappen once again was the sole points scorer for Red Bull.

Tsunoda reflects on first Red Bull race

"My first race with Red Bull Racing is over!", The Japanese driver wrote on social media. "There is work to be done, but I look forward to improving myself and building from here. I also want to thank everyone for the support! It is a privilege to race at home in Japan. And even though we didn't achieve the result we wanted, I am grateful to everyone for all the love I received this weekend."

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Tsunoda couldn't meet his own expectations

Before his debut with the Milton-Keynes-based team, Tsunoda expressed optimism for a good result in Japan. "I don’t want to raise expectations too much, but for this Japanese Grand Prix, I want to finish on the podium. That said, I know it won’t be easy right from the start," he stated during a Honda event a week ago. Although he was unable to meet these expectations, he was still named as the Driver of the Day by the fans.

Tsunoda won’t have to dwell too long on his underwhelming result at Suzuka. He’ll be back in action next weekend at the Bahrain International Circuit, where he’ll have a fresh opportunity to prove himself and score his first points for Red Bull. With the Bahrain Grand Prix fast approaching, all eyes will be on how he bounces back under the desert lights.

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This article was written in collaboration with Kim Hoefnagel