Verstappen defends Tsunoda: « He’s not a pancake, is he? »
Yuki Tsunoda, last in qualifying at Barcelona, was defended by Max Verstappen. The four-time world champion points the finger at a Red Bull that's difficult to drive, and sees it as a sign that the problem goes deeper than a simple lack of skill.
Tsunoda, a revealing underperformance. Yuki Tsunoda experienced a nightmare in the Spanish Grand Prix qualifying, finishing last in Q1. It’s the second time this season that a Red Bull driver has set the slowest time in a standard qualifying session, after Liam Lawson in China.
The Japanese appeared downcast in front of the media: he mentioned a fundamental limitation in the car without being able to clearly identify the source. On the management’s side, Helmut Marko indicated that this situation should be discussed internally.
Asked by the Dutch press in the paddock, Max Verstappen was keen to defend his teammate. While he acknowledges the magnitude of the failure, he refuses to place all the blame on Tsunoda. It’s not a pancake, right? When he was at Racing Bulls, he always looked good compared to Hadjar. But well, that’s how it is.
The word crêpe here translates the Dutch pannenkoek, a slang expression meaning someone who is completely useless or incompetent.
Even Isack Hadjar, cited by Verstappen, expressed his support for Tsunoda after the session. « Yuki is clearly worth more than a P20, that’s for sure. It may be a sign. »
For Verstappen, the current situation with the second seat at Red Bull is not an isolated case. He believes that this difficulty in exploiting both cars is indicative of a more structural problem. « Of course, it’s been going on for a long time. It might also be a sign. » And when asked what this might indicate, the Dutchman responds frankly. « You can answer that question yourselves. »
He mentions a general lack of performance on the RB21. « If we don’t have enough grip, that’s it, it’s over. The balance was good, but we simply didn’t have enough grip, so we couldn’t do much. »
Verstappen has always claimed that having a good car is more important to him than having a fast teammate. And currently, even that element is lacking at Red Bull, while McLaren is gaining strength. « We just lack a bit of grip. The overall performance isn’t there. And we know it. We just have to accept it. »
