Yuki Tsunoda struggled with Spanish GP qualifying as he was eliminated in the first segment, finishing last despite showing cleaner laps and reporting no obvious issues with his Red Bull car. The Japanese driver’s performance at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya left both himself and his team puzzled, occurring just weeks after challenging teammate Max Verstappen in previous sessions.
Qualifying troubles and unexplained pace deficit
In Q1 of the Spanish Grand Prix qualifying, Tsunoda lagged almost six-tenths of a second behind Max Verstappen, a gap that proved enough to end his session prematurely. For Tsunoda, this marked another frustrating day, especially given that he felt comfortable with his car’s balance and lap execution. He expressed confusion over the lack of speed despite seemingly better performance on the track.
After qualifying, Tsunoda said,
“I have no idea why I am slow”
. He noted that his pace did not match what he thought was a strong lap effort, explaining that his laps were cleaner than usual, yet the timing sheets did not reflect this improvement.
During the session, Tsunoda requested the team to inspect the car’s floor after he aggressively rode over the exit kerb of Turn 13, but it was confirmed that no damage occurred. He also stated,
“I don’t think it’s the set-up,”
elaborating that multiple setups had been attempted without finding a solution. He was confident in the car’s balance and felt his confidence behind the wheel was intact, but the results didn’t align with these perceptions.
Tsunoda added,
“The lap in qualifying on both [sets of] tyres, especially the last push, was pretty good, so it doesn’t really stack up with my results and with the pace that I’m having.”
Ongoing sliding issues and core car limitations
Throughout the race weekend, Tsunoda struggled with his RB21 sliding on both the front and rear axles, a problem that has persisted despite set-up adjustments. He attributed this to a difficult-to-identify core limitation of the car which he has been unable to overcome.
The driver remarked,
“The last two grands prix, some sessions I was matching or a bit faster than Max and suddenly it drops like hell,”
describing how his performance unexpectedly declined during recent races. He also highlighted severe tyre degradation issues, particularly during long runs, explaining,
“Whatever I do, nothing happens and it feels like this car is eating the tyres like hell, having degradation massively.”
Tsunoda admitted not knowing the root of these challenges, stating,
“It doesn’t really stack up and I think the core limitation is still there. I don’t know what it is and I can’t really have any answer for that.”
Disparities in car specifications and their effects
Red Bull’s internal hierarchy often results in Verstappen receiving the latest parts ahead of Tsunoda. Verstappen had the newest floor at the Miami Grand Prix and additional upgrades at Imola. Tsunoda was given the updated floor at Imola but missed out on further new components after crashing in qualifying, forcing the team to rebuild his car using an older floor spec and spare parts.
It is understood Tsunoda continued with the older floor setup in Spain, but this alone cannot explain the significant differences in lap times and handling between the two drivers.
Internal concerns about Tsunoda’s performance
Red Bull’s driver advisor Helmut Marko expressed disappointment with Tsunoda’s qualifying form, especially after a relatively close showing in Friday practice sessions. He commented,
“The performance is disappointing,”
and added,
“And now in qualifying, nothing worked at all. And to finish last – even if the car isn’t entirely identical – is something we need to question internally.”
Tsunoda’s early-season teammate at AlphaTauri, Isack Hadjar, voiced support, suggesting that Tsunoda’s last-place result did not reflect his true ability. Hadjar said,
“Yuki is definitely worth more than a P20, that’s for sure.”
He admitted not knowing Tsunoda’s exact struggles but encouraged him to keep fighting, noting,
“Of course, I don’t really know what he’s going through at the moment. Because I’ve never been on the other side of the garage. But yeah, he needs to keep pushing, I guess. He’s definitely not a P20 guy.”
Challenges with car balance at Barcelona
Issues with sliding on both axles were not exclusive to Tsunoda’s car. According to Pirelli’s chief engineer Simone Berra, low grip and sliding on the hard C1 tyre compound is a common concern during Friday sessions. Yet, Tsunoda experiencing similar problems on other tyre compounds indicates deeper mechanical or setup problems.
Teams typically tune their cars with slight understeer to protect rear tyres from thermal wear, especially on circuits like Barcelona where heavy acceleration out of corners strains the tyres. However, this strategy can cause increased stress on the outside front tyre. This compromise has become trickier following the removal of the final chicane at the circuit for 2023, which increased the load on certain tyres.
Tsunoda seemed unable to find an adequate setup to manage these conditions. He observed,
“We did almost everything [on set-up]. Exactly the same, just four wheels sliding around. We have to discuss, but I can’t see what kind of set-up will make the game change.”
Implications and what lies ahead for Tsunoda
Yuki Tsunoda’s continued difficulties at the Spanish Grand Prix highlight unresolved challenges with car performance and tyre management that affect his pace relative to teammates and competitors. Despite multiple setup changes and persistent efforts, fundamental issues with balance and tyre degradation appear to hinder his ability to compete at the front.
The situation prompts further scrutiny within Red Bull and its junior teams, especially given Tsunoda’s occasional promising pace seen earlier in recent races. The team will need to diagnose the root causes more thoroughly to unlock his potential, as internal voices call for deeper evaluation of car specifications and setup strategies.
The coming races will likely be crucial for Tsunoda’s confidence and development, with expectations for improvements in consistency and results as the team works to address the underlying car performance constraints he continues to face.
