Mekies and Marko Discuss Tsunoda's Latest Performance in Brazil
Yuki Tsunoda was eliminated in SQ1 at the Brazilian Grand Prix, continuing a disappointing trend for the driver struggling to maintain his place in Formula 1. His lap time of 1:10.692 was nearly six-tenths slower than the cutoff for SQ2.
Max Verstappen, Tsunoda’s teammate at Red Bull, also faced challenges, complaining about his car during the session and qualifying only sixth. Although this somewhat lessens the pressure on Tsunoda, the team had higher expectations.
Tsunoda’s Struggles in Qualifying
- Tsunoda has failed to reach Q2 in six Grand Prix qualifying attempts.
- He has also missed Q2 three times in Sprint qualifying sessions.
Isack Hadjar is widely expected to replace Tsunoda at Red Bull, leaving former team Racing Bulls as Tsunoda’s last chance to remain in F1. Reports suggest Arvid Lindblad might already have been selected for a seat, which could put Tsunoda in direct competition with former teammate Liam Lawson.
Comments from Mekies and Marko
Both Laurent Mekies and Helmut Marko agreed that Tsunoda’s lack of track time during Friday’s Free Practice 1, caused by an early collision with the wall, significantly affected his qualifying performance. They also acknowledged the undeniable issue of his insufficient speed.
“We paid a little bit for the track time we lost this morning with the off,” Mekies told Sky Sports from the pit wall. “We paid a bit of performance there. I don’t think we had a very good Q1 session.”
Since the summer break, Tsunoda has shown signs of improvement but has not scored points in consecutive races since Miami and Imola in May.
Summary
Tsunoda’s recent form highlights the critical impact of lost track time and ongoing speed deficiencies, casting doubt on his future in Formula 1.