Footage has resurfaced showing Yuki Tsunoda playing a prank on his new teammate Max Verstappen. The two drivers will now be collaborating closely as Red Bull has promoted Tsunoda to its top Formula 1 team, displacing Liam Lawson back to the junior Racing Bulls squad. Lawson’s poor performance at the beginning of the season led to this shift, with zero points scored in two Grands Prix and one sprint race.
Tsunoda faces a challenging task as he adapts to driving a new car that has proven difficult to handle, a sentiment echoed by Verstappen and Lawson’s struggles with the RB21. Despite these racing challenges, the personal relationship between Tsunoda and Verstappen seems solid, having spent four years racing together for the junior team, enhancing their familiarity.
A light-hearted moment between the two drivers was captured in a clip where Tsunoda teaches Verstappen some Japanese words atop the Eau Rouge corner of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. The video shows them engaging in playful games, with Tsunoda pulling a prank on Verstappen by teaching him to say, “Yuki is a faster driver than me,” leading to a humorous exchange between them.
While Verstappen appears to have a good rapport with Tsunoda, reports suggest he is unhappy with Lawson’s demotion, expressing sympathy for the struggling driver during the Chinese Grand Prix. Red Bull’s decision to swap drivers early in the season was explained by team principal Christian Horner, citing the importance of Tsunoda’s F1 experience in car development.
Formula 1 fans can now enjoy live coverage of all events with Sky’s Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle, offering access to practice, qualifying, and races, along with a variety of TV channels and free subscriptions to Netflix and Discovery+.