Tsunoda Battles to Q2 as RB F1 Struggles Continue in Qatar

RB F1 faces a tough qualifying in Qatar, with Tsunoda reaching Q2 despite struggles and Lawson hindered by lap preparation issues.

Yuki Tsunoda qualified 14th for the Qatar Grand Prix, an improvement from his SQ1 elimination in yesterday’s Sprint. However, the RB F1 driver admitted his car was less competitive than the day before and that he extracted its full potential.

“To be honest, the car was worse than yesterday in terms of performance. Yesterday, we just didn’t maximize our performance—we could have done much better because it was a tough session,” Tsunoda explained.

“Today was a good session; I gave it everything, but 14th place was the maximum. Some teams have improved, while others have had ups and downs, but overall, it was tough, to be honest. We’ll do as much as we can—it won’t be easy, for sure, but anything can happen.”

Liam Lawson failed to progress beyond Q1 after being disrupted during his preparation lap, which led to a poor final lap. “It’s marginal, but when the gaps are down to hundredths, small things matter,” Lawson noted.

“Even before the lap, I was slowed down and waited, letting the car roll for 15 or 20 seconds, and I had no grip. I didn’t even improve on my first Q1 lap, which left us in this position.”

Starting 16th on the grid, the New Zealander remains realistic: “It will be tough, given where we’re starting. We’ll try to maximize everything, but based on today, it’s going to be difficult.”