Did Tsunoda’s race justify Red Bull’s Lawson swap? · RaceFans

Liam Lawson’s nightmare dismissal from Red Bull following just two appearances for him handed a dream debut to the man who replaced him.

An abundance of goodwill greeted Yuki Tsunoda as Red Bull finally handed him an opportunity many felt he should have had in the first place. Plus, the timing could hardly have been better: Japan’s only Formula 1 driver made his debut for the top team at his home race in a car carrying a tribute livery in honour of their engine supplier and his long-term backer, Honda.

On Sunday, Max Verstappen carried the car to a superb victory, one of his best, as he kept the clearly faster McLarens behind all day. Tsunoda came in 58 seconds behind, out of the points.

There was little to shout about this result, on the face of it. Tsunoda only finished six seconds closer to Verstappen than Lawson did on his last outing for Red Bull. Had Tsunoda really done well enough to justify Red Bull showing Lawson the door so soon?

Taking the weekend as a whole, there is more cause to be encouraged about Tsunoda’s performance. He got off to a good start in first practice, lapping little more than a tenth of a second off Verstappen.

Although he was almost two seconds behind in Friday’s later session, this was no cause for alarm, as a series of disruptions had prevented Tsunoda from completing a representative qualifying simulation lap. However that lost time hurt him when crunch time came on Saturday.

In Q1 he matched Verstappen’s best time to within three-hundredths of a second after a similar number of runs. But while Verstappen found nearly half a second in Q2, Tsunoda was unable to improve his time, which he blamed on failing to prepare his tyres properly beforehand. He dropped out in the second round, almost half a second off Verstappen, and beaten by both drivers from his former team, including Lawson.

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This left Tsunoda at a serious disadvantage for a race in which overtaking proved far more difficult than it had been in China two weeks earlier. Although he pounced on a mistake by Lawson on the first lap, Tsunoda only gained one further place, thanks to a slow pit stop for Pierre Gasly.

In China, Lawson started from the pit lane having made drastic set-up changes in a bid to master the tyre problems he was suffering. It was to no avail, and even when he ran in free air his lap times dropped off quickly.

In contrast, Tsunoda never had the benefit of free air during yesterday’s race. He spent the first stint stuck behind Gasly and the second in Fernando Alonso’s wheeltracks. In common with virtually every other driver on the grid, he simply couldn’t get close enough in the wake of either driver to mount an attack.

The raw numbers of Tsunoda’s first result alongside Verstappen do not make for encouraging reading. But there’s plenty of cause to believe he’s started off at a higher level than Lawson. As Tsunoda acknowledged after the race, the crucial factor this weekend will be whether he can qualify closer to Verstappen.

Tsunoda’s Japanese Grand Prix radio messages

Stint 1: MediumStint 2: HardFinish

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Stint 1: Medium

Tsunoda picked up one place immediately after the start then set about trying to attack Gasly. He had difficulty getting within DRS range, however, and asked his race engineer Richard Wood to clarify where the detection point was in the final chicane.

Lap: 2/53 TSU: 1’36.076

Wood
DRS is enabled. Gasly the car ahead, 0.6. Lawson behind, 0.8.

Tsunoda
Yeah, I don’t need the information for the car in front.

Lap: 4/53 TSU: 1’34.771

Tsunoda
Where was the DRS detection point for last corner?

Wood
Detection in turn 15.

Tsunoda
Apex?

Wood
Apex.

Lap: 7/53 TSU: 1’34.655

Wood
Recommendation, no push, turn 11. No push toggle, turn eleven.

Lap: 8/53 TSU: 1’34.818

Wood
Okay, so Gasly’s dropped out of DRS from Alonso.

Lap: 9/53 TSU: 1’34.552

Tsunoda
Yeah, a bit more rear-limited.

Wood
Copy.

Wood
Think about torque eight, torque eight. I’ll have a flap update for the next stint when you can.

As he prepared to switch from the medium rubber to hards at his pit stop, Tsunoda told his team he would potentially like more front wing angle, but only if he was likely to emerge in clear air. That was a luxury few drivers enjoyed at Suzuka.

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Lap: 11/53 TSU: 1’34.668

Tsunoda
Tyres okay, but it’s hard to overtake.

Wood
Yeah, copy that.

Lap: 13/53 TSU: 1’34.357

Tsunoda
Tyre is good.

Wood
Copy, good info.

Lap: 15/53 TSU: 1’34.020

Tsunoda
Are we sticking still to the plan A? I think maybe… We’re improving lap times, so I don’t know

Wood
Copy Yuki, we are looking at the options just now. Continue with plan A for now.

Lap: 17/53 TSU: 1’34.595

Tsunoda
Tsunoda describes his preference for front wing flap change at his pit stopIf it’s by myself maybe stick to this or maybe a step more flap. If traffic, similar.

Wood
Copy.

Lap: 20/53 TSU: 1’34.326

Wood
Okay, could be racing Russell at pit exit. Russell pit exit now.

Wood
Okay, so car behind Russell. Russell on new hard tyres.

Tsunoda
Copy.

Lap: 21/53 TSU: 1’34.975

Wood
Gap behind, 0.5.Russell passes him on the inside at the chicane

Stint 2: Hard

Tsunoda got a late call to “box opposite” Gasly – i.e. only pit if he did not – and came in. Gasly pitted on the following lap and a slow tyre meant Tsunoda easily gained the place. Now he was stuck behind Alonso.

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Lap: 23/53 TSU: 1’36.396

Wood
Battery’s good. How are the tyres?

Tsunoda
The tyre is at least consistent, but the grip is low I guess.

Wood
And box opposite Gasly. Box opposite Gasly, this lap. Gasly stays out and Tsunoda comes in

Lap: 24/53 TSU: 1’54.579

Wood
Okay, we can push. Everything you’ve got here.

Lap: 25/53 TSU: 1’33.618

Wood
Tsunoda arrives at the pit straight, Gasly is in the pitsOkay, press and hold here. Press and hold. Gasly pit exit and Fernando as well.

Wood
Car ahead Fernando on new hard, let’s get him.

Wood
Battery remains good.

Lap: 28/53 TSU: 1’33.036

Tsunoda
Mode six?

Wood
Yeah, mode six.

Lap: 29/53 TSU: 1’32.955

Wood
We’ve got display 10 position eight, display 10, position eight.

Tsunoda
It is already done. It’s already selected.

Wood
Yep, copy. Strap five. Strat five.

Lap: 31/53 TSU: 1’33.125

Wood
Display 10, position 10 when you can. Display 1-0, position 1-0.

Red Bull suggested various settings changes for Tsunoda as he tried to attack Alonso. But he told his team the turbulence from the Aston Martin made it too difficult to get close.

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Lap: 35/53 TSU: 1’32.424

Wood
Yuki so we are happy with this tyre so you can push, use all the tyre.

Tsunoda
Copy.

Wood
That will improve performance. Engine 11, position 2. Engine 1-1, position 1. How’s the balance? Can we help you anywhere with tools?

Lap: 39/53 TSU: 1’32.598

Tsunoda
Yeah, it’s just that the dirty air is hard.

Wood
Copy.

Lap: 40/53 TSU: 1’32.319

Wood
You’re doing a great job, keep on concentrating, you were just outside DRS that time. Keep it clean.

Lap: 41/53 TSU: 1’32.522

Wood
Engine 13 position six for performance, engine 1-3 position six.

Lap: 43/53 TSU: 1’32.131

Wood
For info car behind, Gasly, three seconds.

Lap: 46/53 TSU: 1’31.940

Wood
Gap behind 2.5.

Lap: 47/53 TSU: 1’32.381

Wood
Display five, position six for more low speed locking at exit.

Lap: 48/53 TSU: 1’31.907

Wood
Think about third toggle for turn 16.

Finish

Over the final laps Red Bull gave Tsunoda the benefit of a more powerful engine mode for periods during the final laps. But it was all for naught.

Lap: 49/53 TSU: 1’31.929

Wood
Okay, that’s five laps to go. Gap at DRS 1.1. Mode nine when you can.

Lap: 51/53 TSU: 1’31.871

Wood
Okay, three laps to go. Gap at DRS 1.1. Keep it clean.

Wood
On the straight exiting SpoonThree seconds, press and hold here. Three seconds.

Lap: 52/53 TSU: 1’32.141

Wood
Exit of hairpinOkay we want one more three-second press hold out of 14, do it immediately at full throttle, immediately at full throttle.

Chequered flag

Wood
Okay mate recharge on, recharge, that was a tough day today. Overtaking was very difficult. Fail 84 fail please, fail 84 fail.

Tsunoda
Yeah, sorry guys. Yeah I think the pace was there but just the traffic, it’s quite hard to close the gap more than one sec.

Wood
Sorry we couldn’t get you in the points for your home race.

Tsunoda
Nah, I just have to be better in the qualifying, that’s it.

Wood
So pick up rubber on the way in, pick up the rubber.

Wood
So finishing order, Max P1, Norris, Piastri. So a Honda on the podium for their home race.

Tsunoda
Yeah, congrats, congrats, guys. Impressive.