Yuki Tsunoda shrugs off his father’s critical comments following a dramatic crash that cost Red Bull £1 million, focusing on his future instead.
- Tsunoda, after stepping up from Racing Bulls, faces scrutiny from his father despite managing a best finish of ninth at Bahrain.
- His recent crash at Imola, reminiscent of an incident in 2021, highlighted persistent challenges adjusting to Red Bull’s dynamics.
- Despite setbacks and using older car components, Tsunoda remains undeterred, attributing issues to his setup approach.
- Aware of being behind in car specifications compared to teammate Verstappen, Tsunoda’s mindset is on understanding and improvement.
Yuki Tsunoda has been under the spotlight after a costly crash, leaving Red Bull with a significant repair bill. However, the young driver appears unfazed by his father’s blunt criticism, choosing instead to focus on advancing his career. Tsunoda was elevated to the main Red Bull team, a move that came sooner than some expected, following Liam Lawson’s difficulties in adapting swiftly from Racing Bulls.
The transition has not been wholly smooth for Tsunoda, as illustrated by his performance at Imola. His weekend was disrupted early on with a high-speed crash in the qualifying session. Fortuitously unharmed, Tsunoda found himself starting from the pit lane for the race, managing to salvage a tenth-place finish despite his car being patched together with older parts due to new updates being unavailable to him.
Nobuaki Tsunoda, Yuki’s father, did not hold back in an interview, critiquing his son’s repeat mistakes. Reflecting on Yuki’s rookie year crash at Imola, Nobuaki noted the troubling similarities, highlighting concerns over Yuki’s tendency to become overly optimistic after good performance phases. Despite his father’s comments, Yuki is choosing not to engage with the criticism. “I’m not listening to my dad, so it’s okay,” Tsunoda told the media confidently, emphasizing his self-awareness and commitment to self-improvement.
Tsunoda openly admits that his approach to Red Bull’s sophisticated setup might need refining. He acknowledged that understanding how the car behaves with each new setup is crucial, a complexity not as pronounced in his previous VCARB experiences. This has led to his realization that a less aggressive strategy might be beneficial when implementing technical changes.
As the Monaco weekend approaches, Tsunoda remains pragmatic about the limitations of his current car in comparison to Max Verstappen’s, owing to the shortage of upgraded components. “I was on the back step anyway. So it’s my fault,” he confessed, acknowledging the competitive gap yet remaining hopeful about closing it with time and continuous learning.
Tsunoda’s journey with Red Bull is marked by hurdles, yet his resolve to improve signals potential for growth.
