P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Has Yuki Tsunoda made genuine progress in recent F1 rounds?
Yuki Tsunoda claimed that he has been closer to Max Verstappen in recent races than his predecessors were. Despite being dropped for the 2026 F1 season, Tsunoda emphasized the progress he made alongside the world champion. At the Qatar Grand Prix, Tsunoda out-qualified Verstappen in sprint qualifying, a rare feat among teammates. Though Tsunoda didn’t impress in grand prix qualifying, his gap to Verstappen was less than three-tenths. Since receiving the same equipment as Verstappen, Tsunoda believes his performance in the last three races has been significant. Despite being replaced by Isack Hadjar at Red Bull, Tsunoda expressed confidence in his ability to challenge and support Verstappen like no other driver before him.
