Yuki Tsunoda Faces Setback at Monaco Grand Prix After Imola Crash
Japanese Formula 1 driver, Yuki Tsunoda, is bracing for a challenging weekend at the Monaco Grand Prix following his massive crash at Imola, which has forced him to revert to an older floor design on his Red Bull car.
Tsunoda’s accident at Imola during qualifying left his car severely damaged, leading to the team outfitting a spare chassis with a new power unit and floor. As a result of the crash, Tsunoda disclosed that he will be lagging behind his teammate, Max Verstappen, in terms of the Red Bull RB21 specification at Monaco.
The young driver’s setback stems from his lack of experience with the new Red Bull package, as he admitted, “I never ran the full new package yet, even Imola was a little bit different.” Tsunoda’s crash at Imola highlighted his need to familiarize himself with the car’s behavior under various setups, especially since he had minimal testing before jumping into the Grand Prix season.
Despite the challenges posed by Monaco’s narrow and unforgiving streets, Tsunoda remains optimistic about gradually improving his pace throughout the weekend. He acknowledged the difficulty of driving the Red Bull car in Monaco, emphasizing the importance of building confidence and taking a cautious approach on the demanding circuit.
Red Bull, like many other teams, has introduced circuit-specific upgrades for Monaco, including a higher-downforce rear wing, revised brake ducts for improved cooling, and adjustments to the front suspension to enhance steering capabilities around the tight corners of the track.
As Tsunoda navigates the complexities of Monaco’s layout and strives to make up for lost ground due to the Imola crash, all eyes will be on him to see how he copes with the challenges ahead.