The 2025 season of Yuki Tsunoda is taking a wild plunge as he becomes disqualified once again at qualifying and squanders his chance of participating at the Austrian Grand Prix. The Japanese driver was plain angry not being able to get through Q1 and was temporarily placed behind the pack again on P18.

Tsunoda has been struggling with an RB21 package which has been against him than it is with him. His qualifying session began positively with the first run being great and confident. However, that changed radically when he came around the track to take the second push lap and the behavior of the car broke any rhythm.

Tsunoda said after ending up eliminated, “it felt totally different on balance.” The first push was good. Second push, entirely otherwise. Surprised me.” 12 His response broke down the purely unpredictable nature of the vehicle. When I consulted him as to where he lost time, he answered bluntly: All over, yeah.”

RB21 is a machine that is turning out to be complex. Max Verstappen sat in P7 on Saturday and he is the person who could do no more, just to indicate the razor-close nature of the car operating contour. Verstappen has experience to put up with it as it comes mid-way into the lap, but Tsunoda is still getting his feet wet at the highest. That learning curve came out today. I was hoping that one would at least perform in Q3,” Tsunoda said. He entered the qualifying on a positive note. The initial flying lap reassured that he believes the car was fast. However all it takes in F1 is consistency, and this car is not providing him much to play around with.

Tsunoda said that the RB21 requires being perfect. And when the set up or tyre preparation is not just perfect, it retaliates. He even contemplated about the hassles that had been easier when he drove in Racing Bulls early last season. The package was more natural there. It is more difficult nowadays, the adjustment more difficult.

I am no longer at that stage where I used to pull out things at the middle of the lap. That is what I was doing in the VCARB. Not the same, now, however.”

It is not only a question of pace, strategy also gets lost when moving off the back. The choice in tyres is restricted. It is just soft tyre, he added stressing the absence of flexibility. Drivers will be allowed other medium or hard compounds. Tsunoda cannot do that.

They may have a chance to change the setup that would mean starting the race in the pit lane. It is a risk, possibly worth taking possibly not. Strategy-wise we are going to have to see. Better? Well, well, then we will take it.”

The psychological cost is eminent. He is very much sick and tired of having a P18 or P19 start, he said. And what can one expect of him? It is now like a mountain to climb each time and qualifying in particular has been his recurrent nightmare.

Nevertheless, some light is present in the long-term speed. The speed, you understand, was very good as never before. Knowing the car in a better way. The race day does not come without its own aggravations, though, cramped air, congestion, mess. It is not simple.”

Salvaging something out of the race is on the mind of Tsunoda. The starting position was lost but his eyes remain on the points. I will do my best to earn points, he finished.t is obvious that there is a potential. There are however, low frustrating moments, temperamental machinery and rigid time constraints to the road of unlocking it. At the moment, Tsunoda does not only need to fight the rest of the grid, but he has a battle with the RB21 itself.

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