Red Bull Racing Formula One driver Yuki Tsunoda has revealed that it is taking longer for him to adapt to the RB21 F1 car than the VCARB 02 he drove at Racing Bulls previously. With the car reportedly designed around Max Verstappen, Tsunoda admitted that he hasn’t seen any driver adapt to it quickly.

Tsunoda was promoted to Red Bull after the Chinese Grand Prix in March, swapping places with Liam Lawson, who was demoted to Red Bull’s junior F1 team, Racing Bulls. Lawson struggled significantly with the RB21, leading Red Bull to take drastic action after the first two races of the 2025 season.

The 2024 season saw Sergio Perez face similar challenges with the RB20, given the balance problems that led to Red Bull losing the Constructors’ Championship. Fortunately for Verstappen, the struggles were minimal, and his racing prowess led him to secure his fourth championship.

Despite the challenge, the Japanese driver is optimistic that he will adapt to the RB21, even if it means taking up the remainder of the season. He said:

“I mean, I don’t know. It depends on the driver, but also at the same time, I didn’t see yet so far the driver who probably got used to it in that car straight away. So that’s probably the fact.

“But at the same time, I feel I’m in the right direction, at least on the short runs. Also in terms of the whole package, I know there’s something to come as well into this year compared to Max. So once I get the full package, I still have good confidence that I can be in a level that they want. That’s what I’m working hard on.

“In terms of the long run is exactly the place that I’m still probably struggling at, but I’ll find a way. I saw a couple of driving styles that I can try that I never tried in my career in Formula 1. It’s just the learning stuff.”

Comparing the RB21 to the car he used to drive at Racing Bulls (then VCARB), Tsunoda said:

“Is it true that in terms of confidence, when the condition changes every session, maybe I’m taking a little bit more time compared to where I used to have at VCARB where for example, I knew exactly how the car was going to drive in each set-up, I can go flat out from the first push.

“But maybe in the Red Bull, I had to build up, which for me is the right approach. I don’t think it’s a wrong approach, but just takes a bit of time. I don’t know if it’s going to take a whole season or not, but at least it’s positive that I’m going in the right direction.”