The 2025 F1 Australian GP proved to be a weekend of highs and lows for Yuki Tsunoda and the Racing Bulls team. The Japanese driver impressed throughout the event, delivering a strong qualifying performance and running in the points for much of the race.
However, a costly pit stop behind the Safety Car in changing conditions meant that Tsunoda left Melbourne without the massive haul of points that had seemed within reach. He crossed the line in 12th.
A standout performance in qualifying
Tsunoda’s weekend got off to a strong start, as he placed his Racing Bulls car fifth on the grid—outqualifying both Ferraris, a Mercedes and a Red Bull. The 24-year-old was the lead midfield runner.
His pace was one of the surprises of the weekend, with the Japanese driver demonstrating that Racing Bulls could contend with some of the sport’s top teams. Reflecting on his speed, Tsunoda noted that the team must analyse why they were so competitive after a pretty disappointing lack of pace in testing:
“The positive thing is we got good pace that was probably a bit unexpected. We have to definitely revise what was the reason why we were able to perform well.”
Battling at the front in a tricky race
The race itself was chaotic, with wet conditions leading to multiple early retirements. Tsunoda, however, managed to stay in the fight, consistently running in P6 for most of it, passing Charles Leclerc to run in P5 on lap 43.
As the rain returned late in the race, teams faced the critical decision of when to pit for inters. Unfortunately for the Japanese, a misjudgment in strategy cost him dearly.
He had stayed out like the Ferraris. At one point he was P2 behind Verstappen before going off at turn 12 and losing positions. The Safety Car appeared and he was down to 11th then.
When asked about the pit stop that dropped him out of the points, Tsunoda expressed his frustration but acknowledged the need for the team to review what went wrong.
“We have to discuss it within the team, but it’s definitely a shame. Until then we were fighting very, very strongly, and we almost scored massive points for this weekend.
“So yeah, very disappointed.”
Frustration as Williams scores big
Adding to the disappointment was the result for Williams, with Alex Albon securing an impressive P5 finish. Tsunoda admitted that seeing Williams capitalize on the chaos in the F1 Australian GP while Racing Bulls missed out was frustrating:
“Now Williams scored a P5, which is very frustrating. But the positive thing is we had good pace. We just have to consistently perform like I did in qualifying this weekend.”
Lessons learned and looking to China
Tsunoda emphasised that reading the weather conditions was a challenge, and he largely had to rely on the team’s calls for pit stops. The experience, he admitted, was a learning opportunity:
“I can’t see it, so definitely something to learn for the future as a team. We have to come back strong.”
Looking ahead to next week’s Chinese Grand Prix, which will feature a Sprint Race, Tsunoda remains optimistic. He believes that if Racing Bulls can replicate their qualifying speed, they will have a strong opportunity in Shanghai:
“If we’re able to perform as well as we did in qualifying, I think a Sprint Race will be a good opportunity. But in hindsight, it can go the opposite way, so preparation is very important.”
Can Racing Bulls carry this momentum forward?
While the F1 Australian GP ended in disappointment, Tsunoda’s pace throughout the weekend proved that RB is capable of mixing it with the frontrunners. The challenge is now ensuring that the team can extract similar performances at other circuits, particularly with a crucial weekend in China on the horizon.
As Tsunoda put it:
“First of all, we have to learn from the car, we have to understand more about why it was so fast in qualifying. Hopefully, we can carry that into China.”
With Melbourne showcasing his potential, all eyes will be on Tsunoda to see if he and RB can convert speed into points in Shanghai.
