F1 News: Yuki Tsunoda Calls Out "Unfair" Encounter With Haas Drivers - "Pretty Frustrating"
Visa Cash App RB (RB) driver Yuki Tsunoda has criticized Haas' strategy during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, labeling it "unfair" after Nico Hulkenberg secured a P10 finish in Jeddah. Despite understanding Haas' aggressive approach to scoring points, Tsunoda expressed his disapproval of their tactics.
Key Takeaways:
- Yuki Tsunoda criticized Haas' strategy at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, calling it "unfair" as Nico Hulkenberg secured a 10th-place finish.
- Kevin Magnussen received two 10-second penalties during the race, hampering his performance.
- Despite facing setbacks, Magnussen's cooperation with teammate Hulkenberg helped secure points for Haas, although Tsunoda found the strategy frustrating, he admitted his own mistake and acknowledged Haas' perspective.
Kevin Magnussen's race in Jeddah suffered setbacks as he received two 10-second time penalties, one for contact with Alexander Albon and the other for overtaking Tsunoda off the track.
After passing Tsunoda, Magnussen eased off, allowing teammate Hulkenberg to create a sufficient gap, ensuring his positioning in the points after his pit stop. While this was a good enough milestone for Haas to achieve for the first time under the leadership of new team principal Ayao Komatsu, Tsunoda called the team's strategy "unfair" and "frustrating" but owned up to his mistake.
Speaking to the media after the Saudi Arabian GP, the Japanese driver said:
“It was pretty frustrating [but] probably my mistake was I let Kevin by.
“But at the same time, he overtook me with all four wheels outside [the track]. OK, he got a 20 second penalty but he was just cruising around.
“That’s a bit unfair but at the same time the truth is I also let him go, so that was my mistake
“We really struggled with the pace from the beginning, I didn't have much grip. I struggled to even stay in the track.”
Tsunoda agrees that at the end of the day, it is a team sport. Appreciating the strategy from the Haas' perspective, he added:
“His perspective, I think he [Magnussen] did a good job for the team.
“It's a team sport in the end.
“Nico got to score points so he did a good job but the same time, it’s pretty frustrating.”