Red Bull issues early verdict on Yuki Tsunoda as Max Verstappen's teammate

After making an early exchange, replacing Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull has endured fewer questions on its driver lineup as of late. Moreover, the Japanese driver has clinched some points with the Austrian giant, which has led the team's chief engineer, Paul Monaghan, to give an early verdict on the 24-year-old's performance while battling with Max Verstappen at Red Bull.

Since joining the Austrian giant in 2016, Verstappen has partnered with six teammates in the past decade. While Daniel Ricciardo initially showcased that he had the upper hand in the intra-team battle, the Dutchman soon overtook the Aussie and became the team's star driver.

After Ricciardo's departure, Red Bull has struggled to find the best driver to fit in the second seat and placed their bets on Liam Lawson at the start of the season. However, after only two rounds, the team reversed the decision to snub him and gave Tsunoda the call-up to the senior team.

Tsunoda's arrival in Milton Keynes was a hasty one. However, he went on to score points in two race weekends as a Red Bull driver. Reflecting on how the Japanese driver was evolving under the Austrian team's guidance, focusing on his performance, all while not being intimidated by his world champion teammate, Monaghan said, via Formula 1:

"He came in, he’s been forthright in his feedback, he’s been courteous, he’s been a good team member. He’s been a little bit unlucky at times, lucky at others… He’s finding his feet. He’s not afraid to speak his mind, he states what he wants and what he doesn’t like, which is good. He’s in the team, he’s a good member of it, and he’ll be fine."

"He seems able to avoid the intimidation of being Max’s team mate at the moment, so that’s really good. I’m impressed. He’s got more than a spine to him."

---

Is Yuki Tsunoda really on the level of Max Verstappen?

Yuki Tsunoda at the F1 Grand Prix of Miami - Source: Getty

Though Yuki Tsunoda and Max Verstappen have finished four races, miles apart from each other, the former has been one of the best teammates in terms of performance recently. They marked a double-points finish for Red Bull in Miami, after the Bahrain GP.

This even earned Tsunoda an approval from Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko in a recent interview, but the Austrian revealed the only caveat holding the young driver back, as he said, via OE24:

"He’s the first [Verstappen] team-mate to get a taste of Max’s performance. Unfortunately, he still makes mistakes when the pressure increases."

This portrayed Yuki Tsunoda's closeness to Verstappen's pace, but the former has yet to achieve a strong result like a podium that fans expect from a Red Bull driver.