Featured Image Credit: Getty Images
Topics: Formula 1, Red Bull Racing, Sky Sports
Jack Kenmare
Sky Sports analyst Ted Kravitz noticed a ‘very significant’ detail in the Red Bull garage, just moments before the start of Japanese Grand Prix qualifying – and it may point to why Yuki Tsunoda struggled.
Tsunoda is making his much-anticipated Red Bull bow this week after replacing the out-of-form Liam Lawson, who endured a difficult opening two races of the 2025 campaign in Australia and China.
On Friday, Tsunoda said he found Red Bull's car "more tricky" to handle than he had expected during his first practice sessions for the team, despite finishing a tenth of a second behind teammate Max Verstappen in first practice.
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"FP1 was better than expected. A good start for myself," he said. "FP2 I didn't even set a lap time. Lots of work to do. Maybe slightly struggled or there's something we have to look into the data for FP2 but so far it was okay, I just need to build the confidence more."
A day later and Tsunoda struggled to live up to the promise he showed in practice. He delivered promising speed in Q1 but after faltering in Q2, he will start on the grid in 15th place for Sunday's race at the Suzuka Circuit.
Ironically, Lawson qualified just ahead of Tsunoda as Max Verstappen claimed secured pole in dramatic fashion.
In the build-up to qualifying in Japan, Sky Sports analyst Ted Kravitz made an interesting claim about the Red Bull garage after he spotted a noticeable difference between the two Red Bull cars.
“I’ve spied a very significant difference on the downforce levels of both of these cars,” Kravitz began. “Yuki has got a distinctly bigger rear-wing angle on his car.
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“We heard from Christian talking about the balance of the car. We also heard him earlier in the weekend talking about giving Yuki Tsunoda a more predictable car, a car that’s not going to bite him.
“It might be a bit slower, but that’s what Horner says. And I can see it in the garage. You look at the rear wing of Max Verstappen, that’s quite a shallow angle. Then you swap to the left-hand side, that is a thick angle rear wing. So it’s safety first for Yuki Tsunoda.”
Speaking after FP1 at Suzuka, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was asked about Red Bull’s controversial decision to demote Lawson and bring in Tsunoda.
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“I think he brings experience and I think that knowledge is very useful as this season is all going to be about a development race,” Horner said.
“That’s why we took the decision early. I think Liam would have got there but it might have taken five, six, seven races or half a season. We don’t have that amount of time.
“After discussing it internally, we decided: ‘Right, we’ve got to rip the plaster off this now and get on with it’ and that’s what we chose to do and Yuki’s jumped in and done a good job initially.”
Thoughts on qualifying? Let us know in the comments.