Yuki Tsunoda has been spotted driving the legendary RB19 car at Silverstone ahead of the Miami Grand Prix. Red Bull’s 2023 challenger won all but one full-length race thanks to the heroics of Max Verstappen and the strong early-season form of Sergio Perez. Tsunoda was driving the RB19 as part of a TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) day. Each F1 team gets 20 days per season, eight of which can be designated to the incumbent full-time drivers.
The tests use cars that are at least two years old, and these must be set up to mimic the performance and tuning of that period. Aside from helping rookies and development drivers get experience behind the wheel, TPC days are often used to help new arrivals get up to speed in their machinery. For example, Ferrari used up Lewis Hamilton’s entire four-day allocation during pre-season to ease the transitional phase after leaving Mercedes.
For Tsunoda, the opportunity to visit Silverstone for a TPC day is invaluable. The Japanese driver has impressed Christian Horner and Helmut Marko with his adaptation process and speed since stepping up from Racing Bulls, but results haven’t represented his potential.
Following a lap-one crash with Pierre Gasly at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Tsunoda has scored just two points in three races with his new team and sits 16th in the Drivers’ Championship standings. By improving his results, Red Bull would be aiding Verstappen’s chances of fighting the McLaren duo at the front.
“Especially on tracks similar to the ones we’re going to drive in the coming races, so yeah, I’m excited for that,” Tsunoda said in Jeddah when asked about his TPC session at Silverstone.
“Also, if I can give some feedback from the RB19, what the key major factor was that made that car so successful, and apparently something we don’t have in the RB21, hopefully I can find it out.”
Despite the slow start to life at Red Bull, pundits and members of the Red Bull team have seen enough to believe that Tsunoda could finally be the answer to the Milton Keynes squad’s long-term second-seat struggles. Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Perez and Liam Lawson have all failed to deliver alongside star driver Verstappen.
“It’s getting there,” Tsunoda explained, assessing his confidence driving alongside the Dutchman. “I mean, confidence level, everything, still learning the process to finally get performance consistently with our car. But, yeah, slowly getting there.
“Once you step out, once you rush and try to get performance as possible work with this car, I don’t think it’s just the right approach. And I mean, I’m pretty happy with the how I’m doing so far, and, yeah, showing a good performance. So just to keep what I’m doing.”