Yuki Tsunoda finished in eighteenth place in the qualifying round for the Belgian Grand Prix. This was a disappointing outcome for the Japanese driver, especially considering he was already set to start from the back. Visa Cash App RB has significantly modified his vehicle for the Belgian race – so much so that the 24-year-old driver has been hit with a grid penalty of sixty(!) places.
The team has made such extensive changes to Yuki Tsunoda’s car that the FIA had to impose six different penalties. The internal combustion engine, turbo, MGU-H, MGU-K, battery, electronics, and exhaust have all been replaced. Tsunoda initially seemed unaware of the extent of his penalty. Formula 1 journalist Will Buxton informed him of the various penalties during an interview for Formula1.com. “Oh, Jesus,” the young Japanese driver blurted out.
Yuki Tsunoda hopes to assist his teammate Daniel Ricciardo in the race. The Australian will start from P13 on Sunday. “I’m just hoping for rain,” Tsunoda responded. “I’m going to focus on helping Daniel (Ricciardo). Maybe I can give him a slipstream or something like that.” The Visa RB driver doesn’t have much confidence in his race. “The free practices were already quite difficult. But we have been able to identify some problems, so hopefully, everything will be fixed by Sunday.”
