Red Bull team principal Christian Horner recently shared insights on Yuki Tsunoda’s early performances since joining the team. After four races alongside reigning four-time world champion Max Verstappen, Horner noted that Tsunoda is still trailing Verstappen’s pace in all aspects on the track.
Tsunoda’s promotion to Red Bull came just two races into the 2025 season, replacing Liam Lawson from the Japanese Grand Prix onward. This move was reportedly supported by Honda, who offered a €10 million incentive for Tsunoda’s early advancement to the main Red Bull seat at their home race.
In his debut, Tsunoda qualified 14th and finished 12th, while Verstappen secured the race win. The following event in Bahrain marked Tsunoda’s first points for Red Bull, finishing ninth. Despite a strong qualifying session in Saudi Arabia starting eighth, Tsunoda’s race ended prematurely due to damage sustained in a collision on the opening lap with Pierre Gasly.
Most recently, Tsunoda started 10th in Miami and spent much of the race behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. However, a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane affected his race, although he still managed to finish within the points in 10th place.
Horner explained that Tsunoda’s current performance gap to Verstappen isn’t due to a single factor but a combination of small differences across the race lap. He emphasized Tsunoda’s positive impact on the team, noting his good feedback, experience, and spirited personality as valuable additions to Red Bull.
Ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, Tsunoda participated in a test with a previous-generation Red Bull car, which allowed him to gain more seat time and bond with the engineering crew. Despite rainy conditions limiting running, the session helped him better adapt to the team’s systems and environment.
Meanwhile, Horner praised Verstappen’s sustained excellence, highlighting the Dutch driver’s impressive pace and ability to surprise even his own team. Horner mentioned that despite a first-corner incident in Saudi Arabia, Verstappen showed strong speed on multiple tyre compounds, an encouraging sign for Red Bull’s competitiveness this season.