Red Bull announce late driver change after Scarly CRASH R...

Red Bull announce late driver change after Scarly CRASH R…read more

Red Bull have sought to calm the paddock after Yuki Tsunoda’s frightening rollover in Saturday qualifying for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola, issuing a statement confirming that the Japanese driver has been given a clean bill of health.

The accident unfolded just a handful of minutes into Q1. As Tsunoda hustled through the rapid left-right Villeneuve chicane—immediately after the Tamburello complex—his RB21 bounced across the inside kerb, snapped sideways and skated through the gravel trap. The car struck the TecPro barrier nose-first, pivoted and briefly turned turtle, finally landing with its wheels in the air against the tyres. Debris scattered and yellow flags were instantly upgraded to red while marshals rushed to the scene. For a tense few seconds mechanics, team personnel and fans alike waited for movement, memories inevitably drifting to Imola’s tragic past.

Modern Formula 1 safety systems did their job: the halo, strengthened survival cell and high cockpit sides absorbed the impact energy, allowing Tsunoda to unclip his belts and clamber out unaided. He was placed in the medical car and taken to the circuit clinic for mandatory checks that cover concussion protocols, spinal imaging and thoracic assessments. Roughly twenty minutes later Red Bull posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Thankfully, Yuki has been checked and released from the medical centre after precautionary examinations.” Team principal Christian Horner subsequently told broadcasters that no fractures, concussion or soft-tissue injuries were detected, though Tsunoda was advised to rest sore shoulders and apply ice.

While the good news eased collective anxiety, the crash has serious sporting repercussions. Because he failed to set a representative lap time before the red flag, the 25-year-old must start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid—potentially the pit lane if the damage forces a chassis swap. Imola is notoriously narrow, with only one heavy-braking zone and a short DRS straight; overtaking is among the hardest on the calendar. That is an especially bitter pill in a season where Tsunoda, racing alongside triple-world-champion Max Verstappen, is under pressure to justify his seat. Thirteen rounds into 2025 he has scored just six points—barely five per cent of Red Bull’s 105-point haul—and sits 14th in the drivers’ standings. Management had signalled a desire to see him reach double-digit points by the summer break to trigger a contract option; now the bar looks higher.

Meanwhile, Verstappen provided the team’s highlight by qualifying second, only three-hundredths of a second behind pole-sitter Oscar Piastri’s McLaren. The Dutchman will share the front row with the Australian, with George Russell’s Mercedes, Lando Norris’s second McLaren and Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin lining up behind. Asked whether Tsunoda’s crash affected his focus, Verstappen admitted he “felt a jolt of concern” on the out-lap for Q2 but praised his team-mate’s courage and the car’s robustness.

Red Bull mechanics now face an overnight rebuild. Initial inspections list four suspension corners, the floor, nose, halo fairings and gearbox casing as write-offs. Engineers hope to avoid a brand-new chassis—which would trigger an automatic pit-lane start—but even a like-for-like tub switch would still leave Tsunoda’s crew burning the midnight oil.

Sunday’s 63-lap grand prix therefore presents two intertwined dramas: Verstappen duelling Piastri for victory at the front, and Tsunoda embarking on a damage-limitation charge from the rear. Weather forecasts suggest a 30 per cent chance of late-race showers; a well-timed safety car or bold tyre-strategy gamble could yet transform the Japanese driver’s fortunes. For now, the paddock simply breathes a sigh of relief that Imola’s barriers did their job, and that another frightening moment ended with a driver walking away unhurt.