Yuki Tsunoda gives a grim Max Verstappen evaluatio lat...see more

Yuki Tsunoda gives a grim Max Verstappen evaluation following the lat…see more

Yuki Tsunoda was only 18th quickest in Austrian Grand Prix qualifying, crashing out of Q1, while Max Verstappen advanced to Q3.

Yuki Tsunoda has stated that he is “not at the level” where he can respond to abrupt adjustments from Red Bull, unlike teammate Max Verstappen. Tsunoda was only 0.263s slower than Verstappen in Q1 of the Austrian Grand Prix, but although the world champion advanced, Tsunoda was eliminated in Q1. It is the third consecutive event he has dropped in Q1, and the fourth in five races, with the Japanese driver stating how a sudden and unexpected shift in the balance from the RB21 took him off guard, with Verstappen also claiming the car was “undriveable” in Q2.

“It is very frustrating, I was just not able to properly adjust on the second push lap, the first one felt good, and there is obviously always a perfect lap, so I could have done better, but the balance felt completely different between the first and second push laps,” Tsunoda told journalists, including RacingNews365.

“I’m just not able to put it all together in qualifying, it is not all the time, but I am just not able to execute properly in qualifying for several reasons, which is frustrating.” I expected to be in Q3, the car felt fantastic, and the first push lap felt good, but with this stage that I’m in, I’m delighted with the confidence, and I’m sure I’m going in the correct direction, but with this very tiny window with the vehicle, you just have to be as consistent as possible. Max reported the same thing in Q2, but at least he knows the car and how to handle it, and even with the surprises, he can adjust within the lap.

When pressed by RacingNews365, Tsunoda affirmed that the RB21 had the smallest operating window of any car he has ever driven, adding, “I would say it is a difficult car, but it is not undriveable.”