When Yuki Tsunoda takes to the track as a Red Bull F1 driver for the first time, he will do so in a very different-looking car to usual

McLaren remains the team to beat in Formula 1, but Max Verstappen’s victorious drive for Red Bull at the Japanese Grand Prix Sunday proves only excellence is good enough. 2nd and 3rd placed Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri still have the fastest all-round car for McLaren on the F1 grid.

So far, so good. Verstappen posted the fifth-fastest time during Friday’s first practice session, with a lap of 1:29.065. Tsunoda was just behind him in sixth, a little over a tenth off Verstappen’s time with a lap of 1:29.