Yuki Tsunoda has declared his real-life experience of Red Bull’s problematic RB21 to be “more tricky” compared to his feelings from the simulator sessions.
On his debut for the team, Tsunoda delivered a credible performance in the first practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix, finishing a tenth slower than four-time F1 champion team-mate Max Verstappen, the position Red Bull wants its second driver.
FP2, however, was wrecked by four red flags that reduced the session to just 24 minutes of running, and with Tsunoda unable to complete a soft-tyre run, leaving him down in 18th on the timesheet.
On home soil around his favoured Suzuka circuit, Tsunoda was still able to gain a representative feeling of a car that has profound…