Yuki Tsunoda was left frustrated after failing to advance to Q3 in the qualifying session at the British Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver missed the cutoff by just a tenth of a second, which means he will begin the race in 11th place after Oliver Bearman’s grid penalty is factored in. Despite demonstrating promising speed with the RB21, a critical power loss prevented him from making the next round.

Challenges and Progress in Silverstone Qualifying Effort

Tsunoda’s season has seen struggles with the Milton Keynes-based Red Bull machinery, but his performance at Silverstone suggested forward momentum. After the session, he explained that a sudden drop in power during his final flying lap impacted his pace.

I lost the power, to be honest,

Tsunoda explained.

I started with the lap, launching into the last corner, the power I normally get – I didn’t have it. I lost about a tenth in Turn 3, just from that lap time until the main straight. And a couple of acceleration boosts that was not working in the last push.

He expressed how tightly contested the session was and believed the power drop was the decisive factor in missing Q3.

So, considering that, the lap was pretty good. And how tight it was… I think most likely I was going through to Q3. So, really annoying. Q3 was possible.

Maintaining Confidence Despite Setbacks

The timing of the power issue was especially unfortunate, as Tsunoda had been showing signs of regaining confidence amid ongoing speculation about his future within the Red Bull program. Despite this, he emphasized the progress made throughout the weekend.

Really happy with the progress I’ve had. I think this was the cleanest race weekend we’ve had so far. The confidence and everything… Car felt good in qualifying. Every time, there’s something I get in the last push. Well, it’s not always the last push, but this time it was the last push, when it counts. It’s annoying. And to be honest, like I said – without that, I would’ve gone through to Q3. So yeah, that’s annoying.

The driver gave credit to the team’s support, noting how it had helped him recover his confidence after previous difficulties.

The team gave massive support for me to gain that confidence back again. And it was working. Until qualifying, in terms of preparation, everything went well.

However, he reiterated the frustration caused by the uncontrollable nature of the power loss:

Just the last push, you know, the power thing, it’s not a thing I can control. Really, really annoying.

Looking Ahead to the Race with Optimism

Tsunoda’s recent performances showed some improvement, highlighted by his 16th-place finish in Austria after starting 18th and benefiting from four retirements. Starting closer to the midfield at Silverstone offers a better platform to fight for points.

He expressed optimism for the race despite the challenges still ahead.

At least I’m not starting P18… closer to the points. So, you know, that helps. I’m looking forward to the race. It’s been a while since I scored points, to be honest. Last time I scored… I don’t remember. So, I have to score points and make the team happy.

He acknowledged the likelihood of a tough race but remains confident in the improvements made and his ability to continue adapting.

So, it’s probably still going to be a tough race, but at least we made a couple of steps that I think I can do. I know what to do better going into the race as well. So, I’m still being optimistic. But I don’t think you’ve seen the full picture yet. And at the same time, still – it’s not – There are a couple of bits and bobs of it, you know. I know there’s something to come from the car as well. So… coming races, let’s say, so let’s see.

Our Reader’s Queries

Q. Did Yuki Tsunoda ever win a race?

A. Yuki Tsunoda started his journey in Formula One back in 2016. He made his first appearance at the Suzuka race in the Japanese F4 championship. During that series, he achieved victory in 10 races and stood on the podium 18 times. Additionally, he secured 12 pole positions and recorded the fastest lap in five races.

Q. Is Yuki Tsunoda the shortest F1 driver ever?

A. Yuki Tsunoda is the shortest driver in Formula 1, standing at 1.59 meters (5 feet 2 inches) tall. Since he began racing in 2021, he has been the shortest on the grid. Donald Jackson Jr. erroneously mentioned that Yuki is 7 feet tall, which is incorrect.