Yuki Tsunoda left bewildered by the F1 British Grand Prix penalty that felt like an eternity
Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda found himself at a loss over the 10-second penalty he received during the Formula 1 British Grand Prix. Although he admitted that the penalty was “deserved,” he expressed that it was “very harsh,” likening the duration of the penalty to what felt like an eternity.
The penalty was imposed on Tsunoda for pushing Oliver Bearman’s Haas off the track at Brooklands corner. Race officials deemed Tsunoda’s move as too aggressive, resulting in the penalty. Despite considering himself at fault, Tsunoda believed that the severity of the penalty was unjust.
In a statement to the media, Tsunoda said, “I guess yeah, I mean, I deserved the penalty. Yeah, 10 seconds. Obviously it was, last year it was probably five seconds, so… Yeah, apparently they didn’t really make any exemption, but it is what it is. It was a tough afternoon out there, obviously.”
This incident marked another challenging race for Tsunoda, as he finished outside the lead lap for the second consecutive race. Expressing his discontent with the penalty, Tsunoda mentioned that “10 seconds felt like two days.”
Red Bull’s Team Principal, Christian Horner, showed empathy towards Tsunoda, agreeing that the 10-second penalty was excessive. He believed that without the rainfall during the race, Tsunoda could have secured a points finish. Horner stated, “Yuki’s race, unfortunately, he picked up a 10-second penalty, which I thought was quite harsh. But it is what it is because for me, that was kind of a racing incident.”
Looking ahead, Tsunoda shared positive news about upcoming upgrades for his RB21 car at the next Grand Prix in Belgium. Despite the limited time to adjust to the changes due to the Sprint format at Spa-Francorchamps, Tsunoda remained optimistic about maximizing the benefits of the upgrades.
“At least I’m going to have upgrades next weekend,” Tsunoda mentioned. “I think I’m currently two steps behind in terms of the package compared to Max, so that will for sure help for the next race.”
With Tsunoda’s determination to make the most of the improvements and his team’s support, all eyes will be on his performance at the upcoming Grand Prix in Belgium.