Yuki Tsunoda says Max Verstappen won’t tell him “the truth” about Red Bull car, bids farewell to Racing Bulls in heartfelt note

Yuki Tsunoda may be on top of the world for finally securing his dream seat at Red Bull and making his debut at the Japanese Grand Prix. However, he faces a mammoth task in getting to grips with the RB21, a car that even Max Verstappen has admitted is challenging to drive. Tsunoda has now revealed that he isn’t seeking help from his championship-winning teammate to understand his car.
Yuki Tsunoda has arrived in Japan and will be competing in front of his home crowd at the Suzuka Circuit this weekend. According to Total-Motorsport.com, Yuki told the media, “I think even if I tap his (Max Verstappen) shoulder and ask about the car, I don’t think he’s going to tell me the truth. So, I’ve just got to figure it out myself using data, looking at how he’s driving, and also reviewing onboard footage. And obviously, I’ve already watched videos from last year’s [Japanese] Grand Prix to see how he drives.”
He continued, “The thing is, I haven’t yet felt the real trickiness of the car. I haven’t experienced the clear difficulties yet. So, I’ll feel it for myself. And I’m sure it will depend on my driving style—each driver will experience it differently. Once I get more familiar with the car, I’m confident my five years of experience will help me come up with ideas to figure it out.”

On Thursday, Yuki also took to Instagram to write a heartfelt note to his previous team, Racing Bulls, bidding them farewell. Sharing a collection of happy pictures with his former colleagues, he wrote, “I want to send a massive thank you to everyone at @visacashapprb for the last four and a half years I spent with the team. As soon as I joined, I always felt incredibly welcome and comfortable. I moved to Italy shortly after joining AlphaTauri in 2021, and it has been my home away from home ever since. I was always treated like family—invited into their homes, playing football or padel with the team after work—and that’s something I will never forget. Thank you for the amazing memories and the best of luck for the rest of the season!”
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Meanwhile, Liam Lawson has been sent back to Racing Bulls, where he will finish the rest of the season. He struggled with the RB21, and it’s still uncertain whether Tsunoda will be able to adapt to the new car. The Japanese Grand Prix weekend kicks off on Friday with the first two practice sessions. Qualifying takes place on Saturday, and the race on Sunday will begin at 2 pm local time, with a chance of drizzle.