Horner reveals Tsunoda mistake which derailed Red Bull debut

Red Bull Formula 1 boss Christian Horner has revealed how a mistake by Yuki Tsunoda ruined his chances of enjoying a dream debut with his new team.

The Japanese racer was in action for the first time with Red Bull at last weekend's race in Suzuka, but had a race to forget in front of his home fans as he failed to finish in the points.

But Horner believes the 24-year-old's maiden outing could have ended very differently if it were not for a crucial error which hampered his qualifying run on Saturday afternoon.

Speaking to Sky Sports post-race, Horner insisted that there were plenty of positives to take, but admitted there was an element of frustration regarding the final outcome.

"He's settled into the team. He's given very good feedback," said the 51-year-old. "His P1 was very strong, P3 was fine.

"In Q1, he was only a tenth away from Max. In Q2, he made a mistake when he was 15kph quicker than he's ever been into Turn 1. He had a moment and then you're chasing the rest of the lap.

"Qualifying dictated his race, a race where I can't remember seeing any overtakes. Had he qualified higher, he would have finished higher."

Will Tsunoda grasp his Red Bull F1 opportunity?

Ahead of this weekend's Bahrain GP, Horner added that he has full confidence in his new driver.

The Red Bull boss said: "Now he's finding his feet in the team and we will see over the next few races that performance will step forward."

It's been a tumultuous start to the campaign for Red Bull, who came into the year optimistic that they could be in a position to challenge for the constructors' crown having lost out to McLaren in 2024.

Liam Lawson was chosen to replace the underperforming Sergio Perez during the off-season, but the Kiwi was sensationally sent back to sister team Racing Bulls after just two races, with Tsunoda being promoted to take his place immediately.

The Japanese star is determined to grasp his opportunity having been initially overlooked for the position but has his work cut out to ensure he isn't the latest driver to struggle under the pressure of performing alongside main man Max Verstappen, who secured a record-breaking fourth consecutive victory at Suzuka last weekend.

READ MORE: Sergio Perez signs new contract...but it's not with who you think

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