Formula 1 - No F1 crisis? Yuki Tsunoda defends his performance at Red Bull: "Things are going well"

Yuki Tsunoda isn't having an easy time at Red Bull. The Japanese driver hasn't scored a single point in the team's last five Formula 1 races. It's therefore not surprising that the media is already reporting on his retirement at the end of the year. There has even been some speculation about an end during the summer break. However, Tsunoda himself doesn't see this as a crisis, but rather as an improvement.

"Things are going well, getting more enjoyable with each race," said the Red Bull driver. "The performance at Silverstone, especially on the short run, was really good. Looking at the results, it might not look like it, but my package is different."

In fact, Tsunoda and teammate Max Verstappen aren't driving the same car. The Japanese driver's car is lagging behind, as upgrades primarily go to the reigning world champion. "We see in the data that the car difference corresponds to the difference I had with Max in Q2," the 25-year-old explains, referring to his weak Silverstone qualifying.

Although Red Bull is working hard on upgrades, there will be no adjustment at the Belgian GP . "I'm still a few packages behind," said Tsunoda. However, the Japanese driver doesn't want to let that slow him down. "I'm just trying to do as much as I can with what I have now. I'll try my best and keep learning. That's all I can do."

Although Tsunoda hasn't been able to deliver convincing results at Red Bull so far, he remains fully confident in his abilities. "What you can say is that I haven't lost my speed," the Red Bull driver defends himself. "I'm fast, and that's why I'm here. I've learned a few techniques from Max. As a driver, I'm in a better position."

At the same time, however, the Japanese driver hasn't yet found complete confidence in his car. "I haven't driven that many races with Red Bull, so my confidence in the car isn't 100 percent yet," said Tsunoda. "I'm not yet at the level I was with Racing Bulls. Then there are the things I can't control. The difference between him and Max may seem big, but on paper, he's not bad."

On his journey at Red Bull, Tsunoda is pleased with the constructive support of motorsport advisor Dr. Helmut Marko . "We always have intense conversations," reveals the Japanese. "We have discussions, but at the same time, he also supports me indirectly by telling teammates how they should help me. He recognizes what I need and makes suggestions or gives me tools to do things better."

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