S Poddar
Yuki Tsunoda is not shying away from expectations of what he has in store for the Japanese Grand Prix as he joins Red Bull for the rest of the 2025 Formula 1 campaign, looking for a podium position.
After a rollercoaster beginning to the season, Red Bull confirmed on Thursday that Tsunoda has been promoted – a transfer that was mooted following last weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix. This shift allows Liam Lawson back to Racing Bulls after two grueling performances in Melbourne and Shanghai.
For Tsunoda, the chance arrives after four years with Red Bull’s junior team. Sometimes he worried that a full-time drive with the senior team would never happen. But following a strong beginning to 2025, he has finally got his opportunity—just as his home race at Suzuka approaches.
Talking at a Honda event in Aoyama, his enthusiasm was palpable.
“Honestly, I never thought that I would be racing for Red Bull at the Japanese Grand Prix,” Tsunoda said. “This is the last season of Red Bull and Honda’s collaboration, so to be racing in Suzuka as a Red Bull driver feels like destiny. Everything has clicked into place just the way I wanted it.”
The reality of the switch hasn’t fully hit him yet, but that hasn’t derailed him from making ambitious goals.
“Of course, I was pleased to join Red Bull, but when I considered it properly, the prospect of racing for Red Bull at Suzuka overnight seemed so surreal,” he explained. “I don’t want to set too high expectations, but for this race, I would like to be on the podium. That being said, I know it won’t be straightforward from the beginning.”.
“My goal is to first get familiar with the car, how it handles in comparison to the VCARB. If I’m able to comfortably enjoy driving the car and learn about it during FP1, then the performances will take care of themselves. And if that translates into a podium finish, that would be amazing.”
Tsunoda has not yet driven the RB21, so his Japan debut is both a golden chance and an enormous challenge. Red Bull’s second seat has been one of the toughest in F1 throughout its history, with numerous drivers finding it hard to settle. But the 24-year-old is relishing the pressure.
“When I first received the call, I thought: ‘Wow, this is going to be interesting,'” he said. “Most of all, I’m looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead.
“There aren’t many times in life where you have this kind of extreme pressure and a chance as big as this, so I can only think that it’s going to be an incredibly exciting race.”
The unexpected promotion had him having to go directly into preparation mode, with not enough time to take in the shock fully.
“Initially, I was too busy to even take the time to appreciate it completely. I had to go straight into the simulator, do seat fittings, and attend to a lot of other preparations,” he said.
In spite of the whirlwind of emotions, Tsunoda kept his feet on the ground, giving top priority to conversations with his engineers and the people who backed him through his entire journey.
“Of course, promotion to Red Bull is fantastic, but first and foremost, I wanted to speak with my engineers and the individuals who had supported me. So, in spite of all the emotions, I felt really calm.”
Having performed a seat fitting already this year as a reserve driver, Tsunoda acknowledged that he wasn’t even certain it would ever prove useful at the time.
“Looking back, I can remember thinking: ‘What am I doing? I’m not going to be racing anyway,'” he said.
This week, following two days of work in the sim, Tsunoda is optimistic about the RB21.
“From the experience, I didn’t feel the car that difficult to drive,” he related. “I certainly got the sense that the front-end is very responsive, as everyone will tell you. But if you ask me did it feel slippery to handle, I wouldn’t say it presented me with an especially odd feeling, at least in the simulator.”
He did confess, though, that his previous statements regarding last year’s car being compatible with his driving style were “a bit of a sales pitch” to Red Bull.
“Of course, how I would like to set up the car is likely different from Max. I’d like to create my own car setup, have a good understanding of it, and build up gradually from FP1.”
His mentor, former WTCC driver Ryo Michigami, has attempted to play down the pressure, saying he didn’t want to put too much strain on him. But Tsunoda was having none of it.
“Actually, please do pile on the expectations and pressure!” he joked.
The Japanese Grand Prix is going to be a memory he would never forget. Although the task in front of him is huge, Tsunoda is enjoying all aspects of it and is determined to seize every moment of his dream break.
