Tsunoda makes Red Bull vow after qualifying breakthrough

Yuki Tsunoda has asserted he will not “rush” his adaptation to the Red Bull team following his positive qualifying outing in Bahrain.

The Japanese driver progressed into Q3 around the Bahrain International Circuit, marking the first time the second Red Bull car reached the final stage of qualifying this year.

His best effort was still significantly down on team-mate Max Verstappen who himself could only place his RB21 in seventh place.

While Tsunoda was left wanting a better result than 10th, the 24-year-old took comfort in the step forward made from free practice.

“I’ll take it,” Tsunoda told Sky F1. “Obviously, as a driver, you want more. 

“But considering what I had in free practice and also considering it’s [just] the second race [with Red Bull], I’ll still take it, going through to Q3.

“It’s just difficult. It's not easy to be in the window that this car operates, which is quite narrow.”

Tsunoda outlined he is still experimenting with how to extract pace from the car and asserted he will not take any shortcuts to get comfortable. 

“I’m trying lots of things to be in the window consistently,” he said. “It's natural, having ups and downs, which I had in every practice.

“I still take it, to be in Q3 at least. I just won’t rush it and progress step by step.”

When asked what he is expecting in the race on Sunday, Tsunoda replied: “[The] long runs in FP2 were not good. But at the same time, the car is different as well.

“The run I had then was not amazing. So I just have to tune it slightly more, as a driver and also the car.

“But I have OK confidence - not great - but OK confidence.”