Yuki Tsunoda rules out 'massive' performance gains for Red Bull

Yuki Tsunoda sheds light on what to expect from Red Bull's upgrades ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this weekend. Red Bull has struggled for performance against their rival, McLaren in this season.

The team has shown pace in qualifying sessions but lacks race pace compared to McLaren. Tsunoda, who was promoted as the second driver alongside Max Verstappen this year, suggested not to expect massive performance gains from the team after the upgrades in Imola.

"I don't know exactly how much performance they are expecting to gain, but I don't think it's going to be massive. I don't think it will make it a suddenly P1 car, the difference we saw in Miami between McLaren is quite big," Yuki Tsunoda said when asked about Red Bull's upgrades [via JunaidSamodien_ on X]

Tsunoda also expressed what he expects from himself over the weekend and indicated that he wants to be closer to Verstappen over the weekend. The driver finished tenth in the Grand Prix and sixth during the sprint race in Miami.

"For myself, I have a lot of work to do to close up the gap at least to, or understand the car 100%, and I've just got to focus on that area. At least it's a good opportunity this weekend that I get a little bit closer to Max and see how the car is going to behave," Yuki Tsunoda added.

The 25-year-old driver has scored nine points in the first six races of the season so far and is currently ranked 11th in the drivers' rankings. Tsunoda would feel the pressure to prove himself in the senior team of the Red Bull after replacing Liam Lawson with just two races into the year.

Isack Hadjar's form puts pressure on Yuki Tsunoda

The second seat at the Red Bull team always seems to be in a bit of turmoil. Yuki Tsunoda currently occupies the place that he took from Liam Lawson after the Chinese Grand Prix. The team advisor, Helmut Marko, seems to be impressed by the performance of rookie driver Isack Hadjar, driving for Red Bull's junior team.

Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar at the F1 Grand Prix Of Japan - Source: Getty

Hadjar expressed his readiness to step up to the big stage if given the opportunity. With Marko impressed, there is speculation about a potential driver swap within the Red Bull team for the second time in the season. Hadjar has scored five points in the season so far, but has shown pace in the car.

Tsunoda's performance in the last four races hasn't been anything significant or extraordinary. He has scored points in only two races of the season so far for Red Bull. The Japanese driver has struggled to leave his mark due to issues like being involved in incidents like the one with Pierre Gasly in Jeddah, and driving an outdated car compared to his teammate in Miami. Looking at the team's history with their second drivers, Tsunoda has to prove his worth to the team as soon as possible, or his F1 seat could be at risk.