Liam Lawson’s return to Formula 1 has evidently impacted the confidence Yuki Tsunoda built during the first two-thirds of the 2024 Formula 1 season. After dismantling Daniel Ricciardo to the point where Red Bull decided to part ways with him before the end of the championship, the Japanese driver began to feel the pressure with the arrival of his new teammate. It is perhaps no coincidence that the trivial mistake made during the qualifying session is a result of this pressure.
A Superfluous Incident
The incident was particularly hard to swallow for Helmut Marko, who spoke very harshly about what happened yesterday in Q2: “He is still too unstable,” the Austrian stated in an interview with Sky Deutschland – “Yuki had a spin in Austin as well, and now this incident in qualifying. We thought he had stabilized, but apparently that’s not the case. Now, with Lawson putting pressure on him, it’s even more evident.” – he pointed out.
“He has a new floor, just like Lawson, but I don’t know if they have spare parts,” he added – “If he were to crash, it would be a demotion to the back row. So it was a completely unnecessary incident.”
Even Yuki Tsunoda himself, commenting on the dynamics of the incident, expressed surprise at what happened: “Initially, I had a lock-up on the inside and I knew I wouldn’t be able to make the corner.”
“It’s strange; I didn’t push hard at that point, and I hadn’t had any front lock-ups at that corner all week. I was surprised, but it’s still a shame not to have been able to make the most of this opportunity.” – he concluded.
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