Tsunoda’s first-day headaches in the Red Bull cockpit

After the expectation, the truth. Yuki Tsunoda’s first day truly driving Pink Bull’s diva-ish RB21 System 1 machine, versus piloting an ersatz model of it in a simulator, answered some questions whereas leaving others hanging.

Only a few of these issues excellent had been Tsunoda’s fault, although, owing to the second practice session being punctuated by four red-flag periods. These not solely price him observe time in a automotive whose efficiency peaks are notoriously tough to entry, they prevented him from performing a qualifying simulation on smooth tyres.

As such, whereas a look on the FP2 occasions suggests calamity – team-mate Max Verstappen posted the eighth quickest lap whereas Tsunoda was 18th, almost two seconds slower – the truth is extra nuanced.

In FP1 they’d been a lot nearer by way of general lap time: fifth and sixth with Tsunoda simply 0.107s off Verstappen.

Usually it was a day for many who regard themselves as F1’s bellwethers to carry out what’s identified within the commerce as a ‘reverse ferret’. Having proclaimed Tsunoda the brand new messiah after FP1, they pivoted to derision – the brand new pariah? – as FP2 got here to a detailed.

The true image was all the time going to be difficult to decode, since a part of the Suzuka observe has been resurfaced and can subsequently evolve otherwise over the course of the weekend, and Tsunoda was going to should really feel out these areas the place the true RB21’s behaviour differs from the one he’s pushed within the simulator. ‘Really feel’ being the operative phrase right here since even probably the most refined simulator can solely transmit some seat-of-the-pants sensation as a result of it will probably’t recreate g-loadings aside from these brought on by main adjustments of path.

Not solely that, if Pink Bull might recreate within the simulator the RB21’s rear-end twitchiness as the driving force leans on the entrance axle, it could be properly alongside the highway to understanding how you can repair that trait in the true automotive.

Additionally, Pink Bull had launched three minor aerodynamic adjustments with a view to cleansing up airflow across the rear finish: a reprofiled engine cowl and cooling exit, an enlarged rear brake duct outlet, and a brand new rear wishbone shroud. Groups now should doc such adjustments and Pink Bull’s spiel claimed the engine cowl and brake duct adjustments had been principally for reliability causes, however such amendments can and do have efficiency implications.

On the finish of FP1 Tsunoda got here on the radio to explain the automotive as “attention-grabbing”. He didn’t make the identical commentary as Verstappen, which was that he felt like his RB21 was “flexing” by way of sector two, the world that begins on the Degner curves and runs to halfway alongside the again straight.

In fact, the automotive might not even have been flexing, however producing sensations analogous to that – the second Degner, the Hairpin and the Spoon are areas the place the RB21’s tendency to lurch from understeer to oversteer will manifest themselves. Verstappen could have been making an attempt to specific the sensation as viscerally as potential.

Tsunoda, as the brand new boy, received’t have been eager to denigrate the automotive on his first day. And, in any case, as Liam Lawson discovered to his price, it’s what it’s.

Nonetheless, there was a barely hangdog high quality to Tsunoda’s manner when F1 TV caught up with him after FP2.

“FP1 was higher than anticipated – FP2, yeah, I didn’t set a lap time,” he stated. “I believe there’s plenty of work to do, we barely… struggled, one thing to look by way of within the information from FP2 extra, however general it’s OK.

“I simply should construct up confidence extra. It [the RB21] is a bit totally different to the simulator – what I felt. To be trustworthy, just a little greater than I used to be anticipating by way of automotive feeling.

“But it surely’s all the time going to be a bit totally different in the true automotive. It [the car’s tendency towards snap oversteer] was just a bit extra exaggerated in the true automotive, feeling a bit extra tough.”

Tsunoda admitted to discovering a larger-than-expected distinction between sim and actuality

Picture by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photographs

The 4 crimson flags in FP2 had been disruptive to everybody however the stoppage prompted by Fernando Alonso’s off-track tour was the one which price Tsunoda, who had solely simply gone out on smooth tyres to aim a efficiency run. Following that, the crew adjusted its run plan and despatched him out on a race simulation.

Whereas that can have been helpful by way of studying how the automotive stability adjustments over the race, lacking the push-laps might show to be damaging. Suzuka, for all that followers and drivers venerate its brilliance, is a troublesome observe on which to overhaul.

Qualifying is (virtually) every part right here given the problem of passing on observe, which leaves FP3 as Tsunoda’s final alternative to really feel his approach in direction of the RB21’s limits earlier than qualifying.

For the time being his loudest fan is former Racing Bulls boss Franz Tost, a visitor pundit this weekend on the Austrian TV channel ORF. Free of the company yolk and manifestly eager to prime up his pension fund with additional look charges, Tost gave free vent to his opinions on how Pink Bull blundered in selecting Lawson over Tsunoda within the first place.

“Yuki has unimaginable pure pace,” thundered Tost. “I’ve been saying that for years. Now, he simply must put all of it collectively correctly.”

If he doesn’t, will Tost be the following pundit to pivot?