Yuki Tsunoda gave the audience at Imola quite a scare when he ended up in the barriers after a horrific crash. The Japanese driver was just starting his qualification, but then took too much of the kerbstones, losing control of the RB21. Tsunoda is upset about, in his own words, his ‘stupid mistake’, especially because the car felt much better compared to the disappointing third free practice.
The audience at Imola, including the many present tifosi, held their breath for a moment during Q1 of the qualifying session on Saturday. Yuki Tsunoda had just started his flying lap when he took too much of the kerbstones and subsequently underwent a severe crash. The RB21 hit the barriers hard, and the Red Bull driver even flipped over. Fortunately, Tsunoda was okay afterwards, and he was even able to climb out of the car on his own.
“I’m doing well, thankfully,” a relieved Tsunoda tells the media in Imola. “At the same time, it’s very frustrating how I ended up there (in the barriers) at such an early stage, and especially a very unnecessary situation.” The Japanese driver then reveals that, like Max Verstappen on Friday, he has been struggling with the balance of the RB-21 all weekend. And that while Tsunoda is still getting used to the unpredictable Red Bull car.
A ‘Stupid Mistake’
“It’s quite a rollercoaster,” he admits about the situation. “In some sessions, I felt good, in others, I suddenly fell short.” While Max Verstappen managed to catch up with the McLarens on Saturday, Tsunoda remained stuck in seventeenth place in VT3.
“It was a big mystery how I ended up there,” the driver continues. “I was clearly unable to pull everything together, but at the same time, I also had a relatively slow pace. We didn’t know exactly why, but we made a lot of changes and it felt pretty good in the first three turns (during qualifying), but I crashed immediately afterwards. It’s just frustrating. The car felt good and it’s a shame that I drove into the wall because of such a stupid mistake.”
Tsunoda’s crash also meant overtime for the Red Bull mechanics. Among other things, a new monocoque and engine had to be installed. Therefore, the Japanese driver will start the race from the pit lane.
The heavy crash of Tsunoda meant overtime for the Red Bull team.
