Yuki Tsunoda brought a dramatic end to the final qualifying round for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday. The Japanese driver crashed his VCARB 01 into the wall during the closing stages of Q3. The broadcast showed the car lifting off the ground and slamming into the guardrail at a significant speed. According to Visa Cash App RB, Tsunoda’s crash was one for the record books, enduring an impact of a staggering 68g.
The 24-year-old Japanese driver was attempting to clock a flying lap in the final minutes of Q3. Coming out of turn five, Tsunoda veered slightly off the track, resulting in a severe crash. “I’m okay,” he immediately reported over the radio. However, the impact of the collision was quite intense. According to Visa RB, Tsunoda experienced more G-forces than Romain Grosjean during his infamous crash in Bahrain.
High Safety Standards in Motorsport
“Tsunoda was on a blisteringly fast lap in the shoot-out for the top ten positions on the grid,” the team wrote in the aftermath of the crash. “This came to a sudden and dramatic end when he put one wheel on the wet grass at the exit of turn 5, completely wrecking his car. Thanks to the incredibly high safety standards in the sport, Yuki was able to walk away unscathed from an impact of 68g.”
Tsunoda eventually qualified tenth, just behind teammate Daniel Ricciardo. In the race, he gained one position and crossed the finish line ninth. This earned him more valuable championship points for the team.
Some of the Heaviest Crashes Based on G-Forces:
- Jules Bianchi, Japanese Grand Prix, 2014 (254g)
- David Purley, British Grand Prix, 1977 (179g)
- Luciano Burti, Belgian Grand Prix, 2001 (111g)
- Rubens Barrichello, San Marino Grand Prix, 1994 (95g)
- Ralf Schumacher, American Grand Prix, 2004 (78g)
- Robert Kubica, Canadian Grand Prix, 2007 (75g)
- Allan McNish, Japanese Grand Prix, 2002 (69g)
- Romain Grosjean, Bahrain Grand Prix, 2020 (67Gg)
- Max Verstappen, British Grand Prix, 2021 (51g)
