Tsunoda: Quick understanding of RB package key in Barcelona

Yuki Tsunoda believes that getting quickly on top of RB’s package will be key to the team enjoying a strong weekend in Barcelona.

The Japanese charger has been ramping up his performance lately on the back of his team’s own solid progress in 2024.

In Montreal last time out, both Tsunoda and team mate Daniel Ricciardo qualified among the top ten, with the latter outpacing the former and concluding his race in the points in eighth position.

Tsunoda was positioned ahead of Ricciardo in the closing stages of the race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and heading for points when a mistake undermined his efforts and pushed him well down the order.

Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya will provide a good test for RB’s VCARB 01, but Tsunoda is confident of a good showing based on his pace in Canada and on the assumption that his team will lose no time getting to grips with its car’s behavior and settings.

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“Even though the race in Montreal didn’t go the way I wanted, and the weekend as a whole was a bit up and down, it was positive that we managed to turn things around from Free Practice to qualifying, from one extreme to another,” commented Tsunoda in RB’s Spanish GP race preview.

“It showed that, as a team, we know how to adapt, and we came back well to get to Q3 once again. This definitely gives me lots of confidence that we know how to turn things around and make them work!

“Now it’s time for Barcelona, which is a tough test for the car, but so far this season the VCARB 01 seems to perform well at all tracks, so I have no concerns on the performance side.

“The key will be to get a good understanding of how our package is working at this track as soon as possible during Free Practice and then get the most out of it.

“It's another track where overtaking is difficult so qualifying will again be very important. I seem to be performing quite well in quali in recent races, maybe it’s the way I build up to it over Free Practice and it’s also linked to controlling my emotions, managing myself better and doing it consistently.”

RB technical director Jody Egginton highlighted the importance of his team’s flawless execution to extract a good result given the tight spread that separates F1’s mid-field competitors.

But the team also heads to Spain with an aero update in its crates for both of its cars.

“With regards to our approach to the race, recent results have been reasonable and we have been scoring points,” said the Briton.

“However, the midfield battle is incredibly tight and we are under no illusion that we must deliver well-executed events to be towards the front of this group with a chance of scoring points.

“So, like for any other Grand Prix, there have been intensive preparations in the simulator and offline tools to prepare for this event.

“A significant amount of work was put in by Faenza and Bicester to prepare and deliver an aerodynamic update consisting of a floor, bodywork and rear wing for both cars, to provide a measurable performance benefit.

“As a result of having this update, the Friday sessions will be especially busy, in order to gather and process as much data as possible and get ready for Saturday onwards.”

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