Yuki Tsunoda was axed by Pink Bull after a massively disappointing maiden season with the group in the course of the 2025 Components 1 season.
The Japanese racing driver was dropped into the second RB21 race seat alongside Max Verstappen from the 2025 Japanese GP onwards.
Tsunoda was anticipated to be a reliable substitute for Liam Lawson, whom the Milton Keynes-based group axed simply two races into his debut season with the squad.
However Tsunoda struggled to be on par with Verstappen, ending seventeenth within the driver’s standings in comparison with the Dutchman’s second.
Reflecting on his time with the Pink Bull senior group, Tsunoda conceded that he nonetheless can not absolutely clarify as to why he struggled to such an extent strapped into the RB21 – a automobile that had gained eight races within the arms of Verstappen.
“Usually I’m in a position to perceive the automobile, what I’m driving, what sort of attribute,” he mentioned on the Past the Grid podcast.
“But it surely appears like even after Abu Dhabi, I didn’t know what sort of automobile I used to be driving.
“I nonetheless don’t perceive what was the difficulty and what issues made me wrestle to study this automobile and get used to the automobile.
“I assumed confidence was there, however some [races] I simply in some way misplaced the boldness. I nonetheless don’t perceive the automobile, to be sincere.”
Yuki Tsunoda opens up on ‘failed’ Pink Bull F1 experiment
Tsunoda had a fairly apparent benchmark in Verstappen round him.
He defined that he would usually not resort to tweaking his driving type. However his struggles with the automobile even prompted him to attempt Verstappen’s set-ups and tip sheets.
That mentioned, it by no means actually paid off for Tsunoda. “One factor about myself: I’ve large enough ego to not change my driving type,” Tsunoda defined.
“I do know what I’m doing by way of driving and I consider in myself. So, I by no means attempt to change my driving type to a different driver’s, regardless that the motive force is aggressive and quick.
“Clearly for Max, it’s a distinct case. He’s a world champion, he proves plenty of issues and I nonetheless be taught plenty of issues from his driving.
“My core driving is identical. And at a while, in all probability the primary 12 months out of any years since I began, I thought of altering driving type and making an attempt to do one thing just like Max.
“However in my perspective, if I simply have a look at knowledge, I didn’t actually see an enormous distinction by way of driving.”
In actual fact, Tsunoda defined how making an attempt to copy Verstappen turned out to make his life trickier within the cockpit of the RB21.
“What I did most – and what I believe now was the most important mistake final 12 months – was to attempt to replicate the set-up,” he admitted.
“Even figuring out that generally, if I really feel the automobile very oversteer, Max’s [set-up] in idea makes the automobile worse, extra delicate within the path change, or makes the automobile slide extra.
“I have a tendency to decide on the set-up, regardless that I’m already fighting oversteer.
“It may well occur generally the alternative manner as nicely: regardless that I’m fighting understeer, his automobile is extra understeer. I attempt to replicate that.”
After spending half the season on the sidelines, Tsunoda has been known as into motion for Racing Bulls, as Liam Lawson has needed to step as much as cowl for an injured Isack Hadjar.
Three races into his cameo, the Japanese racing driver has already seen himself again within the factors with a Tenth-placed end at Monza.
READ MORE – Yuki Tsunoda admits to ‘dying’ for F1 return forward of shock Zandvoort cameo
