Spectacular rollover by Tsunoda during qualifying at Imola

Yuki Tsunoda emerged unscathed from an impressive crash during the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix qualifying. The Japanese driver for the Red Bull team lost control of his car in the opening minutes of Q1, causing the session to be immediately halted with a red flag.

The incident occurred at the Villeneuve chicane. The broadcast footage shows Tsunoda hitting a curb violently, which destabilized the rear of his car. The driver then completely lost control, spinning out at high speed. The car then launched into the barriers, performing a full roll before landing back on its wheels.

The slow-motion images also show that the single-seater was scraping the ground just before the incident, as evidenced by the visible dust coming from the skid under the car. The Japanese driver then approached the corner by excessively hitting the curb, a fatal mistake that unsettled his Red Bull. The violence of the impact significantly damaged the rear of the Red Bull, as well as the protective barriers.

This type of accident is reminiscent of Zhou Guanyu's at Silverstone during the first lap of the 2022 British Grand Prix, where the car also flipped over. The effectiveness of the halo, the head protection system for drivers introduced in 2018, has once again demonstrated its usefulness in these extreme situations.

Immediately after the crash, concerns multiplied on the team radios. Liam Lawson, former teammate of Tsunoda, exclaimed: "My God! I just saw the video. Is he okay?" Oscar Piastri, the first driver to arrive at the scene, also immediately inquired about the Japanese driver's condition.

Fortunately, Tsunoda exited his car on his own before being taken to the circuit's medical center for routine examinations. This accident required significant repair work on the barriers, slowing down the progress of the qualifying sessions.

At the time of the interruption, it was Alex Albon who was leading the session, followed by Fernando Alonso, while the Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc seemed to be struggling with slower times than expected on this historic Italian circuit.