Yuki Tsunoda dejected after second Grand Prix in a row without scoring points
Yuki Tsunoda lamented the poor timing of the safety car in the final phase of the Spanish Grand Prix, after finishing outside the points for the second race running.
Scoring in Barcelona seemed complicated from the start, as the Japanese driver had qualified last in the qualifying session on Saturday. The team decided to have him start from the pit lane after modifying the suspensions overnight to make the RB21 more competitive.
A Failed Strategy
Yuki Tsunoda was also the only driver to start on medium tires, but even this strategy did not pay off, as he had to pit almost at the same time as those on soft tires. He finished in 13th position, gaining a few places but not enough to break into the top 10.
« The safety car did not help with the timing, without it there might have been a chance to score points. That’s how it is, I had more or less the same car as during free practice 1. The pace was correct, but not the one we’re looking for, clearly. There was no improvement, » he stated, visibly disappointed after the race.
Yuki Tsunoda stopped one lap before the safety car came out while he was in 15th place, allowing several competitors to pass him through free pit stops. Despite this, his best position in the race was only 12th, while his teammate was fighting for the podium.
« Starting from the pit lane is never ideal, but we knew we had to try something different today to make up ground, » he added. « We tried different things with the settings; in the end, it didn’t really change much today, but we have ideas to improve that in Canada. »
Canada to Relaunch
« We are not where we want to be, but we will continue to work as a team and aim for more consistency over the entire weekend », he said.
Yuki Tsunoda is now at seven races with Red Bull this season, with three finishes in the points and a best result in ninth position.
Over the same period, Max Verstappen won two races and secured an additional podium, illustrating the magnitude of the challenge the former Racing Bulls driver faces to get closer to his teammate.
Next step: Canada, a circuit where Yuki Tsunoda has yet to score points in three appearances.
