Yuki Tsunoda described the Sao Paulo Grand Prix as one of his worst weekends with Red Bull, saying nothing seemed to come together for him over the event. While team-mate Max Verstappen salvaged a strong result after a pit-lane start, Tsunoda had no such recovery.
Early contact with Lance Stroll sent the Aston Martin into a spin and cost Tsunoda a 10-second penalty. That was compounded when a mistake during the penalty procedure led to a second 10-second sanction, leaving him to cross the line in P17 as the last classified finisher.
Tsunoda summed up the race as a disappointment, saying it was a shame and that the team repeatedly struggled for grip all weekend. He added that he had not realised he had made contact with Stroll and apologised for the incident.
The result comes amid speculation over Tsunoda’s future at Red Bull, with Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar reported to be under consideration for promotion.
Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies agreed with Tsunoda’s assessment, calling the weekend unfortunate. Mekies pointed out the time lost in the contact, the initial 10-second penalty and the further penalty caused by the team’s error. He noted that Tsunoda’s final stint in clean air was strong and that, without the added penalties, he could have been competing for points. Still, Mekies cautioned that hypotheticals do not change the outcome, and the team will take what positives they can from the late pace.