Yuki Tsunoda walks away unscathed after dramatic Emilia-Romagna GP crash
Yuki Tsunoda Walks Away Unscathed After Dramatic Crash in Emilia-Romagna GP Qualifying
The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix qualifying session witnessed a tense moment as Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda emerged unscathed from a high-speed crash at the Villeneuve Chicane. Tsunoda, who has recently stepped up to the Red Bull Racing seat, suffered a dramatic incident during Q1 that saw his car barrel-roll after heavy contact with the barriers.
The Crash Incident
On his first flying lap, Tsunoda appeared to push too hard, misjudging the kerb at the initial apex of the chicane. The rear of his Red Bull RB19 snapped away at approximately 120 mph, leaving him powerless to recover. Spinning uncontrollably through the gravel trap, the car struck the barriers with enough force to flip it into the air. After a tense moment where the car landed upside down, it eventually came to rest upright in the gravel.
Despite the severity of the crash, the 23-year-old Japanese driver was able to climb out of the wreck unaided. Protocol dictated a visit to the medical center, where Tsunoda was cleared following standard precautionary checks.
Tsunoda Reflects on His Mistake
Reflecting on the crash, Tsunoda was self-critical, describing his actions in the early phase of qualifying as overly aggressive.
"I'm just really stupid for myself, pushing like that," he admitted. "I mean, this is very hard and made a lot of changes to the car, so, you know, especially, you know, pushing like that hard without understanding enough about the car and just... Yeah, I'm just very unnecessary, pushing like that hard in the early stages, yeah."
The crash forced a red flag stoppage to repair barrier damage and to replace a light panel displaying flag colors to drivers. With no time set in Q1, Tsunoda will start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid, adding to the challenges he faces in his fledgling stint with Red Bull Racing.
Eventful Start to Tsunoda’s Red Bull Career
Tsunoda, who joined the main Red Bull team at the Japanese Grand Prix after being promoted from junior squad Racing Bulls, has experienced an eventful start to life alongside reigning world champion Max Verstappen. His predecessor Liam Lawson was dropped by the team after just two races, and Tsunoda’s performances are under constant scrutiny.
However, the young driver denied that internal pressure was a factor in his ambitious attempt during Q1.
"I don’t think so. The team is supporting me enough to take off pressure as much as possible," he said before admitting that his approach in qualifying was misjudged. "Yeah, I'm just trying to be a hero from Q1, which has been unnecessary. Aiming too much... Aiming, I would say, myself to pass the Q1 with just one set [of tyres].
Tsunoda continued:
"Also, I mean, I made a lot of changes to the car. You don’t know much about the car, how the car is going to react, and everything, high speed, medium speed, slow speed. And that kind of corner, you need to build up, especially after a massive change. I mean, I had confidence that I can handle it, but at the same time... Yeah, it’s just a thing that, to be honest, is just kind of really an excuse. It’s just an experience from the car, and just car changes and how the car reacts is a bit unexpected."
Facing Challenges Ahead
Tsunoda has shown flashes of promise this season, scoring nine points in the four races since his promotion to the senior squad. However, he’ll face an uphill battle to add to that tally from the back of the grid in Imola. For now, his focus will be on learning from this costly mistake and regaining his composure ahead of the grand prix.
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