Tsunoda draws serious praise from Red Bull as he settles in: 'Yuki is a great team member'

Tsunoda finally got his long-awaited shot with Red Bull Racing during his home Grand Prix in Japan. He stepped in for Liam Lawson, who was demoted back to Racing Bulls after two underwhelming performances. For Tsunoda, it was the end of a long wait for a chance at the top team.

Although stepping up to the main team and adjusting to the RB21 is no small task, Tsunoda has been delivering promising performances. Ahead of the Miami weekend—where he scored points in both races—Paul Monaghan praised the progress the Japanese driver is making.

“He seems to be settling in really well, actually. It’s not the easiest circumstances to step into," Monaghan says in a conversation with F1.com. “He came in, he’s been forthright in his feedback, he’s been courteous, he’s been a good team member. He’s been a little bit unlucky at times, lucky at others… He’s finding his feet."

According to Red Bull's chief engineer, Tsunoda isn't afraid to speak his mind. “He’s not afraid to speak his mind, he states what he wants and what he doesn’t like, which is good. He’s in the team, he’s a good member of it, and he’ll be fine," he explained.

Monaghan is particularly impressed that Tsunoda isn't daunted by the presence of four-time world champion Max Verstappen. The Dutchman has consistently outperformed multiple teammates at Red Bull, including Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and Sergio Perez.

“He seems able to avoid the intimidation of being Max’s teammate at the moment, so that’s really good. I’m impressed. He’s got more than a spine to him,” Monaghan concludes.