Spanish Grand Prix Qualifying: Tsunoda Struggles, Verstappen Dominates
In a tightly contested qualifying session for the Spanish Grand Prix, Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing led the field, with teammate Yuki Tsunoda trailing by just under six-tenths of a second, leading to Tsunoda’s elimination in Q1.
Tsunoda expressed frustration post-qualifying, admitting, “I have no idea why I am slow,” after feeling confident about his run. The 23-year-old noted that his laps felt cleaner, yet the speed was absent. Concerns about car balance led him to request a check on the vehicle’s floor after a rough run over Turn 13, although no damage was confirmed.
“I don’t think it’s the set-up… We’ve tried almost every set-up. The car balance itself is not bad,” Tsunoda explained, revealing ongoing issues with the RB21 exhibiting sliding across both axles. This issue has hampered his performance throughout the weekend, raising questions about a “core limitation” within the car that he can’t diagnose.
Red Bull’s driver advisor, Helmut Marko, criticized the performance, remarking, “On Friday he was relatively close to Max… And now in qualifying, nothing worked at all.” Meanwhile, former teammate Isack Hadjar emphasized Tsunoda’s potential, stating, “Yuki is definitely worth more than a P20.”
The disparity in car performance between the two drivers may be attributed to varying aerodynamic specifications. While Verstappen has received the latest upgrades, including a new floor, Tsunoda has been using older components since crashing and requiring a new chassis at Imola.
Pirelli’s chief engineer, Simone Berra, noted that multiple teams, including Red Bull, faced challenges with low grip and tire degradation, particularly at the demanding Barcelona track. The absence of a final chicane complicates tire management, and the dual sliding problem indicates deeper issues with Tsunoda’s setup that the team must address urgently.
Qualifying results have raised critical questions within Red Bull, as they seek to understand and rectify Tsunoda’s performance gap ahead of the race.
