denied suggestions that was running a faster engine map setting after the Japanese racer finished FP1 just over a tenth of a second behind team-mate . In his two race weekends with the Red Bull team, predecessor Liam Lawson's results were miserable.

The New Zealander failed to exit Q1 in both Grand Prix and sprint qualifying sessions and didn't score a point in either Melbourne or Shanghai. Many feared that Tsunoda might meet the same fate when stepping behind the wheel of the RB21 at the Japanese Grand Prix, but the 24-year-old adapted rapidly. In FP1 at his home race, he finished sixth, one spot behind team-mate Verstappen.

Asked by 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve whether or not there was a difference in engine mapping, Horner told Sky Sports F1: "No, both were on same engine modes."

Addressing the performance in general, Horner explained: "It was certainly a good start for Yuki, settling into the car pretty well. Obviously, [it was] probably quite a different feel to what he was used to, but I thought he settled in, he gave very good feedback, and now both drivers are working away to improve the car for the next session."

While Tsunoda's immediate performance will be a relief to Horner and Helmut Marko, the Japanese racer's display adds further scrutiny to their decision to overlook him in the first place. The evidence was there from his battle with Lawson at the VCARB team in 2024 to suggest that the 24-year-old was the more well-rounded driver.

Asked about a possible mistake, Horner said: "I think, as I said previously to Craig [Slater, Sky reporter], that, with hindsight, we probably just asked too much too soon from Liam.

"We've got a lot of work to do with the car, and unfortunately, I think that sometimes you've got to be cruel to be kind. But he's not out of Formula One. He's gone back to the Racing Bulls. We still believe in him as a talent for the future. And making use of Yuki's experience will hopefully allow the engineers to make faster progress with the car."

If Tsunoda is able to convert his early promise into results on home soil, Red Bull will enjoy a significant boost in the Constructors' Championship. The Milton Keynes squad are already 42 points behind current leaders McLaren heading into the third race weekend of the season.