During the Canadian Grand Prix, Yuki Tsunoda failed to score points for the third consecutive race. The Japanese driver finished twelfth, having started from P18 due to a ten-place grid penalty. With Red Bull’s home race in Austria on the horizon, the Red Bull driver aims to reset and regain confidence in the RB21.
Max Verstappen narrowly missed out on pole position in the qualifying round. The reigning world champion therefore started from P2 in Montreal, the same position he finished on Sunday.
For teammate Yuki Tsunoda, the Canadian Grand Prix was another race to quickly forget. The Japanese driver missed out on points for the third time in a row, having started eighteenth due to a ten-place grid penalty. He received this penalty for overtaking Oscar Piastri under the red flag during the third free practice. Tsunoda called the decision ‘ridiculous’ and defended himself by explaining that he overtook the championship leader at a responsible speed to prevent the RB21 from being hit by debris from the MCL39.
Confidence
Pirelli had calculated beforehand that a two-stop strategy would be fastest, but Tsunoda opted for a one-stopper. It didn’t yield any points, but with a twelfth place, he managed to work his way up impressively from the back of the pack. “The pace felt good today. We were able to make up some positions after starting at P18,” Tsunoda analyzed afterwards. “On the medium tire, I was in traffic a lot, which meant I couldn’t get everything out of the car due to the dirty air. The safety car also didn’t come at the most convenient time for our strategy.”
Still, the Japanese driver remains hopeful: “At least it was a clean race after a messy day yesterday. We implemented some upgrades and improvements to the car this weekend, and we’re moving in the right direction. This was the maximum result today, but I want more.”
Tsunoda now sets his sights on the next Grand Prix in Austria, Red Bull’s home race. “I’m looking forward to debriefing with the team, resetting, and then heading to Austria, as it’s a circuit I really enjoy,” he said. “My focus is on building confidence in the car and hopefully I can achieve good results in Austria for the home crowd.”
