Yuki Tsunoda Faces Uphill Battle in Abu Dhabi After Disastrous FP2 Performance

The Yas Marina Circuit delivered a perplexing Friday for Yuki Tsunoda, who found himself grappling with significant underperformance during Free Practice 2 for the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Finishing a lowly 17th, the Japanese driver expressed profound shock and bewilderment, describing the gap to his Red Bull counterpart, Max Verstappen, as "one of the worst" he has experienced all season. His candid admission, "I don’t know what’s going on, to be honest," underscored a challenging start to what marks the final race weekend of his current stint as a full-time F1 driver.

The 2024 season finale at Abu Dhabi began with an immediate hurdle for Tsunoda, as he was required to sit out Free Practice 1. This session saw incoming Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad take the wheel of his car, fulfilling Red Bull’s regulatory obligation for mandatory young driver running on grand prix weekends. This decision, while standard practice, carries additional weight for Tsunoda, as Lindblad is widely seen as a key factor in the strategic shifts that will see the Japanese racer transition into a test and reserve role for 2026. Missing the initial session on a track known for its evolving conditions, particularly as it transitions from daylight to twilight, inherently puts a driver at a disadvantage, robbing them of crucial track time to acclimatise to grip levels and fine-tune car setup.

When Tsunoda finally took to the track for the evening session, his struggles became apparent. His quickest time of 1m24.303s placed him 17th on the leaderboard, a staggering 0.857 seconds slower than Max Verstappen’s benchmark lap. This substantial deficit immediately raised alarms, especially given the close operational ties between Racing Bulls (formerly AlphaTauri) and the senior Red Bull squad, often allowing for direct performance comparisons. A gap of nearly nine-tenths of a second between the two teams, even with different chassis philosophies, points to a fundamental issue for the Racing Bulls driver.

Tsunoda’s frustration and confusion were palpable in his post-session comments. "I didn’t expect it to be like this challenging, to be honest, but it’s too far away," he stated, reflecting on the chasm separating his pace from the front-runners. The magnitude of the performance gap was particularly concerning for him, prompting an urgent need for analysis. "I don’t know what’s going on, to be honest. I have to see why and what’s going on. But the gap seems one of the worst in the season. So, let’s see."

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Further elaborating on the car’s behaviour, Tsunoda highlighted a critical lack of confidence and stability. When queried about the RB21’s handling characteristics, he admitted, "Didn’t feel much comfortable, let’s be honest, in the car. I kept sliding around. I have to find out why, what’s causing this issue. But it’s not really good." The sensation of the car "sliding around" suggests a fundamental imbalance, potentially related to aerodynamics, suspension setup, or tyre management, all of which are amplified on a circuit like Yas Marina with its mix of high-speed sections and technical corners. The smooth surface of Yas Marina, combined with its unique evening race conditions where track temperatures drop, demands a car that can generate consistent grip, and Tsunoda’s feedback indicates a significant struggle in this regard.

Throughout the 2024 season, Yuki Tsunoda has shown flashes of brilliance, demonstrating improved maturity and consistency. His current 15th position in the drivers’ standings is a testament to his efforts, with notable performances including a strong sixth-place finish in Baku, which stands as his best result of the year. He has consistently battled in the midfield, often extracting the maximum from his package and contributing valuable points to the team. This FP2 result, therefore, represents a stark departure from his more typical competitive showings, adding to his dismay. Given the tight midfield battle, a sub-par performance in qualifying can significantly hinder a driver’s race prospects, making Friday’s struggles a critical concern for the remainder of the weekend.

For the Racing Bulls team, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix carries substantial stakes beyond individual driver performance. The team is locked in a fierce battle for second place in the constructors’ championship, currently trailing Mercedes by 33 points. While a significant gap, Formula 1’s unpredictable nature means that strong performances from both Racing Bulls drivers could theoretically close this deficit. However, the scenario for achieving this is highly improbable, as highlighted by the statistical challenge: "Even if both Silver Arrows retired while Verstappen won, this would require Tsunoda to finish the race in sixth at the very worst – something he has done just once this season, with precisely sixth in Baku." This underscores the immense pressure on Tsunoda to find pace and contribute meaningfully, even as his future role with the team for 2026 shifts to a test and reserve capacity. His performance in this final race, while not directly impacting his long-term contract, remains crucial for the team’s standing and morale.

The technical crew at Racing Bulls now faces an intense period of data analysis, poring over telemetry from Tsunoda’s limited running to pinpoint the root cause of the car’s instability and lack of pace. With Saturday’s Free Practice 3 offering the last opportunity for significant setup changes before qualifying, time is of the essence. Resolving the "sliding around" issue and improving Tsunoda’s comfort in the RB21 will be paramount if he is to have any chance of replicating his season’s best performances and contributing to the team’s constructors’ championship aspirations. The outcome of this weekend will not only close out a chapter for Yuki Tsunoda in his full-time F1 career but also define Racing Bulls’ final position in a tightly contested championship season.

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Jonas Leo: Jonas Leo is a passionate motorsport journalist and lifelong Formula 1 enthusiast. With a sharp eye for race strategy and driver performance, he brings readers closer to the world of Grand Prix racing through in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive paddock insights. Jonas has covered everything from preseason testing to dramatic title deciders, capturing the emotion and precision that define modern F1. When he’s not tracking lap times or pit stop tactics, he enjoys exploring classic racing archives and writing about the evolution of F1 technology.