Yuki Tsunoda’s eye-catching run to third place in FP1 at the Las Vegas Grand Prix offered a glimpse of the driver many within Red Bull’s system have long believed he could become.
It wasn’t just the raw pace—finishing within touching distance of Charles Leclerc—but the authority with which he delivered it. For a driver who has spent most of the 2025 season wrestling with the unpredictable RB21, the session felt like a long-awaited breakthrough.
The RB21 has not been kind to Tsunoda this year. Its narrow operating window, especially on low-grip circuits, has exposed his tendency to overcompensate during corner entry.
Where Max Verstappen has muscled the car into compliance, Tsunoda has often found himself on the back foot, fighting snaps, struggling with balance shifts, and frequently losing confidence during longer runs.
The frustration has been visible at times, and results have reflected it, strong flashes undermined by inconsistencies through qualifying and the opening laps of races. That’s why FP1 mattered.
For the first time in months, Tsunoda was not only comfortable, he looked connected to the car. The RB21 responded cleanly, the rear stayed predictable, and he attacked braking zones with the kind of precision that once defined his junior-formula rise.
Even his engineers noted that he required fewer corrections over the radio, a sign that he felt in control rather than merely surviving. Behind this improvement lies an important dynamic: his growing trust in team principal Laurent Mekies.
Tsunoda and Mekies formed a strong relationship during their time together at the former AlphaTauri squad, and that familiarity appears to be resurfacing at a crucial moment. Mekies has always believed Tsunoda performs best when he feels anchored, when communication is clear, expectations are straight, and support is consistent.
Over the past few events, he has taken a more hands-on approach with Yuki’s side of the garage, helping simplify feedback loops and steady the pressure that comes with driving a championship-capable car.
Sources within the team have quietly suggested that Mekies’ influence has helped Tsunoda reset mentally after a turbulent midpoint of the season. The Japanese driver himself hinted that recent discussions with Mekies about setup philosophy and driving approach have “opened things up” and helped him understand the RB21’s limits with more clarity.
Whether the FP1 surge translates into full-weekend performance remains to be seen. Tsunoda’s FP2 drop showed there is still work to do, especially as conditions evolve and grip levels change.
But in Las Vegas, he finally delivered proof that the RB21 is not beyond him, and that with growing confidence, a supportive environment, and cleaner execution, the next step in his progression may finally be taking shape.
