During the second free practice session of the Italian GP, Yuki Tsunoda confronted Lance Stroll on the track, leading to a tense moment that left the Japanese driver visibly frustrated. The incident occurred at Monza, where the interaction between Tsunoda and the Aston Martin driver prompted Tsunoda to lash out over team radio, calling Stroll “stupid” while expressing his anger.
The Italian GP FP2 session followed a chaotic FP1, where several drivers struggled to find clear track space during their fast laps. This continued into FP2, resulting in multiple encounters, including the one between Tsunoda and Stroll. On Stroll’s cooldown lap, he was moving slowly on the outside line at Parabolica, while Tsunoda was approaching the same corner at full speed.
Tsunoda’s irritation was audible as he questioned Stroll’s behavior on the radio:
“What the f**k is this bro.”
Richard Wood, Tsunoda’s race engineer, also appeared baffled by Stroll’s decision to remain in a vulnerable spot at such a slow pace during the session’s closing moments:
“Yeah, Not sure what he was up to in turn 11.”
Adding further emphasis to his frustration, Tsunoda bluntly described Stroll’s actions while still on the radio:
“How stupid.
Tsunoda’s Recent Performance and Challenges on Difficult Tracks
After enduring a difficult stretch of seven consecutive races without points, Yuki Tsunoda managed to return to the points standings at the Dutch GP in Zandvoort. Despite this, his overall points total remains modest at 12, reflecting ongoing struggles through the first half of the season.
Tsunoda’s pace has improved somewhat following upgrades received at the Belgian GP weekend, narrowing the gap to teammate Max Verstappen during qualifying. Nevertheless, the Hungarian GP was a particularly challenging weekend both for Tsunoda and the Red Bull team as a whole, with suboptimal strategies hindering results.
Monza, home of the Italian GP, presents a particular difficulty for Tsunoda, as it is arguably the worst circuit on his calendar. Over five years in motorsport, his best finish there is only 14th, and he has failed to start the race twice due to DNS issues in 2021 and 2023.
Red Bull Team Principal Confirms Tsunoda’s Gradual Progress
Laurent Mekies, the Red Bull team principal, defended Tsunoda’s development despite the recent setbacks, highlighting that improvement is ongoing but incremental. Mekies noted that while Tsunoda experienced a rough patch early in the season with the Racing Bulls team, his pace has been steadily improving, especially following the upgrades introduced in Spa.
“We don’t think speed can disappear. Yuki did a very good end of last year, and a very good first part of the season [with Racing Bulls].”
“Of course, he has been having a rough time in the first part of the season with this team, but we take it race by race. It was a step forward in Spa. Budapest, it being our worst weekend, he was still very close in terms of pace to Max. He was a tenth and a half away from Max in Qualifying. Normally, if you are a tenth and a half away from Max, it is going to give you a front row. But in Budapest, it meant being kicked out in Q1. He is progressing step by step.”
Despite the immediate frustrations expressed during the Italian GP, Red Bull remains focused on nurturing Tsunoda’s talent through the challenges of a tough season, aiming to accelerate his advancement as the campaign progresses.
