Tsunoda 'Shocked' by Red Bull's Sprint Qualifying Blunder

Yuki Tsunoda expressed his 'shock' and frustration after a Red Bull Racing timing error led to his early exit from Sprint Qualifying (SQ1), preventing him from setting a competitive lap time. The team principal, Laurent Mekies, has since apologized for the costly mistake.

Why it matters:

This incident highlights the intense pressure and precision required in Formula 1 sprint sessions, where even small team errors can have significant consequences for a driver's weekend. For Tsunoda, a strong sprint performance could have provided crucial momentum and a better starting position for the main race.

The details:

• During the chaotic SQ1 session, Tsunoda's car was refuelled in the garage.
• The team's strategy intended to send him out for a final lap, allowing an 8-second gap to the car ahead for a clean run.
• However, Red Bull misjudged the time needed, and Tsunoda was unable to start a competitive lap before the clock ran out.
• Tsunoda stated to F1TV, "The timing of the garage exit was not even close. I don't know what's happened there, to be honest. Something went wrong and we didn't have any opportunity to do [a] laptime, so [it was a] shame."
• He further emphasized his frustration, placing the responsibility on the team: "It's not a thing I can control, to be honest, or we can control. But it was more up to them [the team] than myself, managing the timing. So it's pretty shocking."

Reactions:

• Following the session, Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies publicly apologized to Tsunoda for the blunder.
• Mekies explained the team's decision: "We got it wrong, we apologise to Yuki. The programme was a bit too tight, it was a choice between staying out and cooling down on track or trying to cool down a bit better in the garage."
• He admitted the miscalculation: "We thought we'd have time to get out of garage and back out again, but it was only possible for two cars to do that, but we missed the cut. We owe Yuki and apologise there."

What's next:

While the immediate impact is a disappointing sprint qualifying result for Tsunoda, the team's swift apology and acknowledgment of the error are crucial. This incident serves as a reminder for all teams to fine-tune their operational procedures, especially in the high-stakes environment of sprint weekends, to prevent similar costly mistakes in future races.