Yuki Tsunoda kicked off his new journey as a Red Bull driver during the Japanese Grand Prix weekend, labeling Friday’s practice sessions as a “good start.” However, he was candid about the challenges that still lie ahead in his quest to master the RB21 alongside reigning champion Max Verstappen.

After a challenging season for Liam Lawson, who struggled to keep pace with Verstappen in the first two races of the Formula 1 calendar in Australia and China, Red Bull decided to switch things up. Lawson was reassigned to Racing Bulls, paving the way for Tsunoda to join Verstappen in what many are dubbing a dynamic pairing.

In a commendable first outing during Free Practice 1, Tsunoda impressed by securing a sixth-place finish, only 0.107 seconds behind Verstappen. However, during Free Practice 2, the performance took a different turn, with Tsunoda ending up in 18th place, two seconds off the leading pace. Tsunoda's struggle in FP2 was exacerbated by multiple red flags, preventing him from completing a crucial qualifying simulation.

Reflecting on his first day, Tsunoda said, “FP1 was better than expected. A good start for myself. FP2, I didn’t set a lap time. I think there is still a lot of work to do. Maybe I slightly struggled, or there is something we have to look at more in the data. But so far, overall, it’s okay. I just have to build up the confidence a bit more.”

The much-discussed swap between Lawson and Tsunoda adds intrigue to the performance of Red Bull’s RB21. Tsunoda, having just transitioned from Racing Bulls' VCARB 02, now faces the daunting task of getting the RB21 under control, a vehicle that proved to be a challenge for Lawson.

Diving deeper into his experience with the RB21, Tsunoda noted the discrepancy in behavior between the real car and the simulator. “It’s a bit different to the simulator, to be honest. Maybe a little bit more than I expected in terms of car feel. I knew that it is always a bit different, but it was just a little bit more exaggerated in the real car and felt a bit more tricky.”

Verstappen, observing the situation from his side of the garage, acknowledged Tsunoda’s efforts. He shared his thoughts on the new teammate’s performance, stating, “I think he started off really well in FP1, and then in FP2, it was just very chaotic for everyone. We have a lot of homework to do on our side just to focus on the car. But I think everything worked out well.”

As the weekend progresses, all eyes will be on Tsunoda to see how quickly he can adapt to the demands of driving for one of the most successful teams in Formula 1 history. Will he rise to the occasion, or will the challenges of the RB21 prove overwhelming? Stay tuned for more thrilling updates from the world of Formula 1!