Verstappen Reveals Setup Nuance That Separated Him From Tsunoda at Red Bull

Max Verstappen has detailed a subtle but crucial setup difference between his car and Yuki Tsunoda's during their time as Red Bull teammates, highlighting the fine margins that define performance at the pinnacle of Formula 1. While their cars shared a similar overall philosophy, Tsunoda consistently ran with a slightly more understeer-biased balance, a choice that reflects the individual driving style each champion must master.

Why it matters:

Verstappen's unique preference for a razor-sharp, pointy car is a well-documented challenge for his teammates. Tsunoda's experience underscores that matching the three-time champion is not just about raw speed but about adapting to a specific and demanding car character. This setup nuance is a tangible example of the "Verstappen effect," where his exceptional car control and feedback shape the team's development direction, creating a high bar for any driver sharing his garage.

The details:

• Verstappen confirmed that while their setups converged in philosophy, Tsunoda's car retained "a bit more understeer" throughout their 22-race partnership.
• The Dutchman emphasized that every driver has their own style, and teammates do try to adopt his setup approach, but ultimate adaptation varies.
• The Weekend Build-Up: Verstappen pointed to the process of a race weekend—how a driver works with their engineer and refines the car from session to session—as a critical differentiator.
• The Detail Hunt: He illustrated the importance of minutiae by citing the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where small setup changes after unsatisfactory practice sessions netted a two-tenths of a second gain, a "huge" margin on today's grid.

The big picture:

Tsunoda's stint at Red Bull, resulting in 30 points to Verstappen's 385, fits a pattern. Previous teammates like Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon have spoken about the difficulty of driving a car tuned to Verstappen's extreme preferences. His ability to exploit a nervous, front-end-heavy car is a key component of his dominance. For any driver alongside him, the challenge is twofold: extract similar performance from that setup or find a compromised alternative that still delivers, as Tsunoda did with added understeer.

What's next:

With Tsunoda moving on, the spotlight now turns to his replacement and whether a new teammate can closer bridge the setup and performance gap. Verstappen's continued success reinforces that the driver-car synergy, built on confidence in an aggressive setup, remains a cornerstone of winning in Formula 1. For other teams, it serves as a case study in how a top driver's profile can define a car's operating window.