Yuki Tsunoda Denies Blame for Max Verstappen's Shock Q1 Exit

Yuki Tsunoda has refuted claims that his car's setup was responsible for Max Verstappen's surprising early exit from qualifying at the São Paulo Grand Prix. Verstappen, the four-time world champion, was knocked out in Q1 after only managing the 16th fastest time, while Tsunoda also failed to progress, finishing 19th.

Why it matters:

This marked Red Bull's first double-elimination from the first part of qualifying since 2006, signaling a challenging weekend for the dominant Austrian team. For Verstappen, who finished fourth in the Interlagos Sprint and voiced numerous complaints about the RB21, this unexpected setback could significantly impact his championship aspirations.

The Details:

• Verstappen's Q1 exit in São Paulo was a major upset, as he only managed 16th, with Tsunoda 19th. This was a rare double Q1 elimination for Red Bull, not seen since 2006.
• Tsunoda started the Sprint from the pit lane due to extensive changes made to his car. These same adjustments were later applied to Verstappen's RB21 for qualifying.
• While Tsunoda reported an improved feeling in his car after the modifications, Verstappen's struggles intensified, leading to his shock early exit.
• Tsunoda's Perspective: Speaking to media, including RacingNews365, Tsunoda acknowledged that some of the changes made to his car for the Sprint were adopted by Verstappen for qualifying. However, he firmly denied that his setup was inherently flawed.
  • "Yeah, some of the things we changed for the Sprint race, gave us a good idea how to make the car better, we thought," Tsunoda stated. "I think a couple of things that he also took was from the setup that I was using. Now, I don't want to blame my setup, because I think the setup was okay. Just the main thing is really being able to make the tire work."
• He further explained that his side of the garage made significant progress after the Sprint, resulting in a "clearly better" car for him, but an unforeseen "big issue" emerged that prevented maximizing the opportunity.

The Big Picture:

Red Bull's performance in Brazil has been uncharacteristically problematic. Despite Verstappen's Sprint finish, the team has faced persistent complaints about the RB21's handling and tire performance. The decision to replicate Tsunoda's setup changes for Verstappen proved detrimental, highlighting a deeper issue with understanding and optimizing the car's behavior under specific conditions.

What's next:

Red Bull will be intensely focused on analyzing the data from this weekend to understand why the car struggled so significantly, particularly with tire activation and overall balance. Addressing these issues will be crucial for the upcoming races to ensure Verstappen can maintain his championship challenge and the team can avoid a repeat of this unexpected performance dip.