After finally scoring good points for Red Bull in the Azerbaijan GP, Yuki Tsunoda fell outside the top ten again in Singapore. The Japanese driver attributed his twelfth place primarily to his start, which he called ‘the worst of his career’. Starting from P13, Tsunoda immediately lost several positions, making it a matter of damage control for the 25-year-old driver.
At the start, Tsunoda got trapped between former teammate Liam Lawson and Nico Hülkenberg. As a result, he braked too late going into the first corner and was successively overtaken by Franco Colapinto, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Lance Stroll. This dropped him back to seventeenth place and his chances of a points finish melted away like snow in the sun. Although he fought back impressively, he eventually crossed the line in twelfth place – disappointing, especially since the RB21 seemed to perform well on the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
‘I Need to Get Everything in Order’
“It was probably the worst start I’ve ever had in my life,” Tsunoda responded to the press afterwards. “The start itself was okay, but then I just couldn’t go anywhere. Every opportunity I tried to seize was snatched away from me. It was a terrible first round. It’s a shame, because the pace was really good afterwards. So yes, I honestly don’t know what to say about that first round. The worst start ever.”
In recent months, Tsunoda seemed to have regained his footing compared to his initial Grands Prix with Red Bull. However, he admitted that he still lacks speed over one lap – as was the case during the qualifying in Singapore. “I need to figure out why I’m missing speed, tire preparation, or grip feeling in one lap,” he explained. “That problem has actually been present since the previous race. I really need to pinpoint it. It’s a shame, because the long runs are now very good. It’s the exact opposite of the situation before Azerbaijan. I need to get everything in order – then it will naturally improve.”
