We had put it among the “No” to Fanta F1, inserting it in the list of 5 Drivers Not to Deploy in Bahrain with a caveat: “It's not worth spending 19 Yaw to have him on your team”. A clear judgment, the result of a chiaroscuro debut with Red Bull in Suzuka. But the Bahrain Grand Prix has overturned the forecasts and lit up an unmistakable signal: Yuki tsunoda he's there and he's starting to get serious with his Red Bull.
La ninth position final, the first in the points zone for a second Red Bull driver since Las Vegas GP 2024, marks much more than a simple statistical table: it is the first concrete result of the Japanese driver's adaptation process to the RB21, a car that even Max Verstappen defined as "delicate to interpret". With the two points earned, Tsunoda brought both Red Bulls into the top 10 for the first time this season.
And fantasy managers who had snubbed him are now starting to dust off his name among possible bets for Jeddah.
An uphill path, a growing race for Tsunoda
And to think that the weekend in Bahrain had started in the worst possible way. Fatigue in FP1 e FP2, uncertainties in qualifying, and that tenth place on the grid that already seemed the maximum achievable. But the real Tsunoda came out when it mattered, taking even more risks than necessary.
The complicated pit stop – “I don’t know what happened with the traffic light” – sent him back to P19. From there, a constant comeback, peppered with two wheel-to-wheel contacts with Carlos Sainz and 28 laps on the softs to snatch that hard-earned but deserved ninth place. At the end race Yuki admitted:
“I was very pleased to get my first points as a Red Bull driver in Bahrain. I am still getting to grips with the car and we managed to get through some tough practice sessions to recover well and get good pace and performance out of the car. Obviously I want to do better and will demand more from myself in the coming weeks as I settle into the team. We as a team also want to improve and compete much higher up the grid – it’s a team effort. I have a lot more input and choice when it comes to the set-up and I am learning every day with my engineers.”
A statement that reveals awareness: the performance was not perfect, but the progress is evident.
Horner speaks out: “A really solid weekend”
As Tsunoda raised his hand, Christian Horner responded with applause. The Red Bull team principal said:
“I think Yuki had a really solid weekend. He qualified in the top ten, scored some important points and drove really well. He was only 12 or 14 seconds behind his teammate, so I’d say his race was more than reasonable.”
An award that does not come by chance, especially if we consider that the RB21, at the moment, does not seem to be the dominant car of recent years. In Bahrain, the team struggled to find rhythm, and not even Max went beyond sixth place. The problems in the garage, then, amplified an already complex day.
But in this scenario, Tsunoda's resilience shines even brighter.
It's not yet time for proclamations
Cautious, lucid, concrete. This is how Tsunoda presented himself in the post-race. No proclamations, no excessive enthusiasm:
“I haven’t set a specific goal for Jeddah yet. It’s just about continuing to do what I’m doing.”
The Saudi track is tricky, with close walls and an unpredictable asphalt. But the impression is that the best Tsunoda is yet to come, especially if he continues to work as he is doing.
Red Bull, the second driver is (maybe) found
After years spent looking for a worthy partner for Verstappen, Red Bull may have found in Tsunoda a more solid profile than expected. He is certainly not at the level of the three-time world champion, but he is constantly improving, he is eager to learn and, above all, he does not let difficult moments get him down.
In a championship where every point counts – even for the constructors’ standings – the P9 from Bahrain has a weight that goes beyond the two units in the table. It is a demonstration of maturity, it is the answer to those who already thought it was burned. And it is also a signal for the market, which observes and takes note.
Fanta F1: Who's laughing now?
As already mentioned, for us Tsunoda was a risky investment. The high price (19 Yaw), the technical unknowns and the difficult debut had led to discard him. However, those who deployed him are enjoying the +2 and a potential growing trend.
For fantasy managers, therefore, the Bahrain GP represented a first signal: underestimating Tsunoda can cost dearly.
It's not yet time to consider him a "must have", but it's clear that the perception of him is changing. The consistency in results, the quick adaptation and the trust of the team could make him an interesting outsider in the next stages. We just have to stay tuned to find out!
Yuki Tsunoda has grown wings. The season is long. But this time, he could really fly.
