Tsunoda's rise suggests a Red Bull comeback extending beyond Verstappen.

      "We installed the new underbody on his car."

      The positive change at Red Bull following Christian Horner's departure is being felt not just at the front, but also further down the grid, where Yuki Tsunoda is finally narrowing the gap after an unexpected upgrade at Spa. "We’re very pleased to start with," Dr. Helmut Marko told ORF. "This is the first time we have four cars in the top ten," he remarked, highlighting the strong performances from Max Verstappen, Liam Lawson, Isack Hadjar, and Tsunoda, who qualified seventh compared to Verstappen's fourth.

      Marko, who now has more influence within Red Bull Racing, sees improvement in the long-struggling Japanese driver. "I believe he’s getting better and better. Sometimes he performs really well, but he hasn’t been able to do it consistently yet," Marko shared with Motorsport-Magazin.com. "Yuki hasn’t had any updates so far, unlike Max. However, if nothing happens to him during the sprint race, he will receive new parts as well."

      Indeed, just before qualifying, the team caught Tsunoda by surprise by fitting a newly delivered floor. "We installed the new underbody on his car before qualifying," Marko confirmed. "It’s always a gamble, and time was getting tight, but we pushed hard, and everyone's efforts paid off." Mekies reflected the sentiment, stating: "We updated Yuki’s car right before qualifying because we always strive for excellence in the details. We chose to take a risk. The result reflects the efforts of all our team members."

      Tsunoda felt the difference right away. "A little more grip, for sure," he smiled. "It’s now evident how much of a gap we've had over the past few races. The old one was more sensitive. Once you slid, it just wouldn’t recover. With this one, you can be more aggressive."

      "There are still some parts pending, but the floor was significant regardless. It feels much better," he added. "I can’t specify which parts, but there is still a difference." Speaking to Viaplay, Tsunoda joked: "It was a nice surprise for me! Maybe a late birthday present, I’m not sure. I found out about it just before qualifying."

      Despite his performance, Tsunoda acknowledges that Verstappen will always be the priority for upgrades. "It’s not always straightforward, not for the team either, and that’s understandable. They’re competing for the championship. Max is at the front, the best driver on the grid." Regarding his uncertain future post-2025 with Honda moving to Aston Martin, Tsunoda remains focused on making progress. "I’m working on that, so I can hopefully get closer to him in the future."