Yuki Tsunoda’s return to the track this weekend with Racing Bulls began with a steep learning curve at Zandvoort, as the Japanese driver reacquainted himself with a Formula 1 car that felt markedly different from the machinery he had driven just months earlier.
Drafted in as part of a late driver shuffle, Tsunoda was back in the Racing Bulls cockpit after Liam Lawson was promoted to Red Bull to replace the injured Isack Hadjar.
His comeback immediately put him up against the latest-generation cars in a Sprint weekend, leaving precious little time to adapt.
A very different F1 experience
Tsunoda made it through SQ1 but could not quite crack the top 10, eventually qualifying 12th. Yet the result only told part of the story, with the 24-year-old more intrigued by the behaviour of the new-generation machinery than discouraged by his position.
"It’s very early stages, so it's a bit different, so maybe it's not fair to say it, but most of the drivers were struggling a little bit with their balance and the brake performance and the amount of downforce that these cars lost compared to last year," he said.
"So I needed to quickly adapt.
"I've driven last year's car, which is probably one of the fastest cars in history. I enjoy so much with the TPCs [testing of previous cars].
“But going to this car, it feels a lot different, especially in high-speed corners. At this kind of traditional track where there's not much room in the runoff areas, you want to gradually build up.
"But I've enjoyed this process. My main objective is tomorrow in qualifying. So far, I think I'm able to build up session by session pretty well. I'm excited for the long run tomorrow; that's what I need for all of the data before qualifying and the race."
The compressed Sprint format offered Tsunoda little opportunity to ease himself back into competitive F1 running. Every lap mattered, particularly at a circuit where confidence through Zandvoort's fast, flowing corners is essential.
En encouraging day despite missing SQ3
Despite falling short of SQ3, Tsunoda concluded his day with Racing Bulls feeling positive about the car. The disappointment came instead from failing to extract the same improvement from qualifying that his rivals managed.
"Normally you'd sort of improve through quali, and we started SQ1 quite strong, and then we didn't make the same step that everybody else did,” he explained.
"So, obviously, we'll look into it. There's a lot obviously to learn today, but so far, honestly, I feel quite good in the car. I was honestly feeling okay through quali. I thought we'd get through, so it's a shame."
With another opportunity to gather mileage before the weekend's main qualifying and race action, Tsunoda now has a chance to turn his rapid adaptation into something more tangible.
For a driver thrust unexpectedly back into the Racing Bulls seat, the first day may have been “interesting” – but the real test is only beginning.
Read also: Lawson focused on ‘enjoying’ Red Bull stint, but ‘it will be tough’
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