F1 champion Max Verstappen ALREADY beaten by Yuki Tsunoda in Red Bull mind games

An image of Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda — Photo: © IMAGO

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Verstappen ALREADY beaten by Tsunoda in Red Bull mind games

Yuki Tsunoda will be Max Verstappen's team-mate from the 2025 Japanese GP

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Saturday 29 March 2025 22:58

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After a clip of Yuki Tsunoda and Max Verstappen has resurfaced from 2021, it seems the Japanese driver has already secured a psychological advantage over his new Formula 1 team-mate.

Tsunoda was named as Red Bull’s latest driver after a disappointing start to the year from Liam Lawson, who was axed from the team and has now returned to Racing Bulls after just two grands prix.

As Tsunoda steps up as Verstappen’s new team-mate, old interviews with the Japanese driver have resurfaced and entertained fans given that the pair will now officially make up Red Bull's F1 driver duo from Suzuka onwards.

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From the Japanese star's claims voiced last year that he is ready to ‘fight’ the champion to more light-hearted clips from Red Bull's social media channels, the most recent footage circulating on social media is from 2021, when Tsunoda was racing for Alpha Tauri (Racing Bulls) and Sergio Perez was Verstappen’s team-mate in the Mexican stars first season at Red Bull.

Tsunoda betters Verstappen in Red Bull task

In the video, Tsunoda is tasked with teaching Verstappen and Perez Japanese, with the content filmed at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps, the home of the Belgian Grand Prix.

As Verstappen was tutored by Tsunoda, the champion appeared as a diligent student patiently listening to the phrase he was being taught so that he could eventually repeat it to the camera.

However, it was Tsunoda who had the upper hand after he had actually taught the Dutchman to say: "Yuki is a faster driver than me."

Tsunoda only unveiled the true meaning of the phrase once Verstappen had spoken it aloud in Japanese, with the now four-time champion bursting into laughter as Tsunoda enjoyed his advantage. These mind games will be of no use when Tsunoda takes to the track at Suzuka however, where he will have to avoid the curse the second Red Bull seat has inflicted on the likes of Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Perez and now recently Lawson.