Red Bull Racing’s Yuki Tsunoda faced significant challenges during the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix weekend at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, with his initial lap in the race described as “certainly shocking” by team principal Laurent Mekies. Despite showing promising pace during Friday’s practice sessions, Tsunoda’s performance declined through qualifying and culminated in a disastrous start that heavily affected his race outcome.
Early Weekend Performance and Qualifying Struggles
Yuki Tsunoda began the Singapore Grand Prix weekend on a somewhat positive note, posting ninth and 11th fastest times in the first two practice sessions. Laurent Mekies expressed satisfaction with Tsunoda’s Friday performance, highlighting the quality of his individual laps even if outright speed was not outstanding. However, this momentum faltered as Tsunoda dropped to 18th in the third practice session and eventually qualified 13th on the grid, which was below expectations for the Japanese driver.
“Yeah, you’re right, let me say it was not a good Saturday for Yuki,”
Mekies admitted.
“I think honestly, on Friday, personally, I was satisfied with the work he has done on Friday. It was not looking spectacular on page one, but looking at every single lap, I think it was at the right level on Friday, then Saturday was poor, we need to work with him to understand what derailed it.”
A Turbulent First Lap Affects Race Outcome
The defining moment of Tsunoda’s Singapore Grand Prix came at the race start. He fell back sharply from his grid position, losing multiple places in the congested opening moments. His struggles during this phase were severe enough that his own teammate, Max Verstappen, the four-time world champion, lapped him over the course of the race. Despite Verstappen’s strong performance securing second place on the podium, Tsunoda could only recover to finish in 12th position.
Tsunoda himself described his start candidly, calling it
“definitely the worst start or the first lap ever in my life.”
He explained that throughout the first lap, he was boxed in and hindered at every corner, leaving him with no clear space to maneuver.
“I just didn’t have any space to go. I lost so much position in the first lap. It was definitely the worst start ever.”
Reflecting on what went wrong, Tsunoda acknowledged that he was unsure of what could have been done differently but admitted there was room for improvement. Mekies further evaluated the situation, emphasizing that while the first lap was disastrous, Tsunoda’s race pace afterward demonstrated resilience.
“Today, the first lap was certainly shocking, but from that point onward I think he has done a very decent race, I think he came back from P18 to P12 or P11, with a very decent pace. So we had a very poor Saturday, it’s costing us the weekend and a few points, and we’ll work with him to improve together.”
“I don’t know what I should have done there. I’m sure there’s something I could have done better. That for sure made my life very hard afterwards. To be honest, the pace was one of the best I’ve had in my Red Bull career so far. It’s a shame what I had there.”
Contextualizing Tsunoda’s Singapore GP Difficulties
The Marina Bay Street Circuit is widely regarded as one of the most demanding tracks on the Formula 1 calendar, with tight corners and limited overtaking opportunities. These conditions can amplify the consequences of a poor start, as demonstrated in Tsunoda’s case. Although his Friday sessions showed promise, the significant drop on Saturday undermined his ability to compete effectively in the race.
Max Verstappen’s dominant pace contrasted with Tsunoda’s misfortune, underlining the challenging weekend that the younger driver endured. Mekies’ comments suggest Red Bull sees potential in Tsunoda’s pace and is committed to working with him to prevent similar setbacks in future races. This focus will be critical for Tsunoda as he seeks to bounce back from the setback and better harness his abilities during pressure-filled race starts.
Moving Forward After Singapore GP Challenges
Yuki Tsunoda’s experience at the Singapore Grand Prix underlines the fine margins in Formula 1 racing, where a single poor lap can jeopardize an entire weekend’s effort. The issues exhibited in his first lap clearly impacted both his own race and the team’s overall points haul. However, his recovery pace indicates that with greater consistency in qualifying and a cleaner start, he has the ability to compete more strongly.
For Red Bull Racing, this means reassessing the strategies and support given to Tsunoda, aiming to help him handle race starts more effectively under challenging circumstances such as at the Marina Bay circuit. As the Formula 1 season continues, the team’s collaboration with Tsunoda will be vital to unlock his potential and avoid further disruptions in race performance that cost valuable points.
