Yuki Tsunoda has dismissed the idea of relocating back to the United Kingdom, stating he sees “no benefit” in moving closer to Red Bull’s Formula 1 headquarters.
The Japanese driver stepped up to the senior squad after Liam Lawson was axed just two races, having initially been denied the seat for the 2024 campaign.
Since making his debut for Red Bull at his home Grand Prix at Suzuka, Tsunoda has finished in the points on three occasions, including last weekend in Miami.
As he continues to adapt to Red Bull’s RB21, the 24-year-old was asked whether he would consider living in England again, near the team’s base in Milton Keynes.
“No I haven’t, and so far I’m not planning to,” he said in response to a question from Motorsport Week.
“I think I’ve been in the UK long enough, so I don’t think there’s much benefit. I have more benefits of living in Italy.”
As a rookie, Tsunoda had lived near Milton Keynes in the early stages of the 2021 season as he struggled to find form in the sport.
In a bid to accelerate his development, ex-Alpha Tauri Team Principal Franz Tost arranged for Tsunoda to relocate to Italy, placing him closer to the team’s Faenza base.
Since living in Milan, Tsunoda has recalled how the pandemic worsened his brief experience residing in the United Kingdom.
“Unfortunately, when I was living in Milton Keynes, it was in quarantine,” he explained.
“So I didn’t have the best time in the UK. So that didn’t help for sure as well.”
Tsunoda ‘happy with Italy’
Up next on the F1 calendar is the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, not far from Milan, where Tsunoda currently resides.
In previous interviews, he spoke about how living in the country has helped his approach to races, being able to work closely with the sister team’s engineers.
But even after stepping up to Red Bull, Tsunoda says he remains settled in Italy and sees no reason to disrupt a living arrangement that helps him recharge between races.
“I think this kind of Formula 1 schedule, when you have a bit of downtime, it’s very important that you have a house that you can be comfortable with in order to reset your mind,” he added.
“I think Italy so far has allowed me to reset and I’m feeling very comfortable.
“I’m happy with Italy and I’m happy to go to Milton Keynes for simulator sessions or whatever.”
Tsunoda achieved a double points finish in Miami, claiming sixth for the Sprint after post-race penalties and 10th on Sunday.
Nonetheless, he is still working to extract performance from the RB21 as he looks to close the gap to team-mate Max Verstappen – a formidable benchmark.
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