Red Bull’s Nightmare in Austria: Tsunoda Lapped Twice as Verstappen Suffers Race-Ending Crash
Red Bull faced a disastrous Austrian Grand Prix with team principal Christian Horner expressing disappointment in Yuki Tsunoda’s performance. Tsunoda finished rock bottom in the race, being the only driver lapped twice at the Red Bull Ring, painting a grim picture for the team.
The race weekend was marred by difficulties for Red Bull, as Max Verstappen was taken out of the race by Kimi Antonelli. Verstappen’s misfortunes started in qualifying when he had to abort his final lap due to a spin by Pierre Gasly. Things went from bad to worse on race day when Antonelli collided with him, forcing him into retirement.
However, the spotlight of misery was on Tsunoda, who struggled throughout the weekend. Despite a close gap to Verstappen in Q1, Tsunoda failed to advance to the next qualifying round, marking his third Q1 exit in the last five races. In the race, he received a 10-second penalty for causing Alpine’s Franco Colapinto to spin, further adding to his woes.
Christian Horner did not hold back in his assessment of Tsunoda’s performance, labeling it as a “horrible race.” Horner highlighted Tsunoda’s qualifying mishap, traffic struggles during the race, and the penalty he incurred, emphasizing the significant performance gap between the two Red Bull drivers.
The struggles at Red Bull extend beyond Tsunoda, as Sergio Perez’s departure in 2024 left a void in the team’s lineup. Neither Liam Lawson nor Tsunoda has been able to match Verstappen’s level of performance, leaving the second Red Bull seat as a challenging position to fill.
Verstappen’s streak of 31 consecutive races scoring points came to an end in Austria, underscoring the team’s disappointing home race. Horner acknowledged the need to address the issues surrounding the second Red Bull seat and expressed a commitment to supporting Tsunoda and rebuilding his confidence for the upcoming races.
As Red Bull grapples with internal questions and performance struggles, the focus now shifts to Silverstone as they aim to bounce back from their Austrian nightmare and put up a stronger showing in the upcoming Grand Prix.
