Red Bull “impressed” with Yuki Tsunoda after debut F1 test in Abu Dhabi

Yuki Tsunoda has claimed Red Bull were “impressed” with his feedback during his debut F1 test for the team in Abu Dhabi.

Tsunoda got his first outing for the team on Tuesday at the post-season F1 test.

The Japanese driver got his hands on the RB20 for the first time, alongside Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar.

While Tsunoda didn’t challenge the top of the timesheets, he was pleased with how quickly he adapted to the Red Bull.

Tsunoda is in contention to receive a promotion for next year, with Red Bull still undecided whether they will stick with Sergio Perez.

However, Liam Lawson is thought to be ahead of Tsunoda in the running to be Max Verstappen’s teammate.

Speaking at Honda Racing’s season finale event, Tsunoda reflected on his landmark outing for Red Bull.

“I heard a lot about how impressed they were, particularly with my feedback,” Tsunoda said, as quoted by Autosport.

“This came not only from the trackside engineers but also from the engineers supporting remotely from Red Bull’s factory in Milton Keynes. They mentioned how impressed they were with my input.

“That area was a key target for me. I believe Red Bull already understands that my speed isn’t much of an issue. Instead, what they’re more focused on are things like my feedback, my behaviour within the team, and how I conduct myself in the car. They probably saw those areas as the biggest unknowns.

“So while keeping that in mind, I continued to provide feedback as I always have, aiming to communicate as thoroughly and with as much detail as possible.”

Red Bull set to make key decision

Red Bull’s second driver problem has been a recurring topic throughout the 2024 F1 season.

Even though Perez started the year strongly, his form quickly tailed off.

From May onwards, Perez failed to register a single top-three finish.

His abysmal form meant Red Bull dropped to third in the constructors’ championship, giving them their worst finish since 2019 overall.

Red Bull will have to choose between Tsunoda and Lawson.

While Tsunoda had a general edge in performance terms, Lawson has performed well given his lack of experience.