Yuki Tsunoda questions harsh penalty after overtaking Oscar Piastri under red flag, citing safety concerns amid heavy debris at speed.
Yuki Tsunoda is set to celebrate his 100th Grand Prix start by lining up last on the grid for the Canadian Grand Prix.
Tsunoda knew before qualifying that he was at risk of a 10-place grid penalty, having been demoted by the stewards for overtaking Oscar Piastri under red flag conditions during the third free practice session.
He also received two penalty points on his licence.
In Q2, Tsunoda briefly broke into the top 10 but ultimately finished the session in 11th place.
With the penalty, he will drop to 20th and last on the grid—and is clearly frustrated by the decision.
“It was a tough day, I lost a lot of time with the issues. The 10-place penalty came out of nowhere… I don’t know, what did they want me to do?” Tsunoda lamented.
“Oscar had heavy damage in the final corner, I saw him on the straight doing 80 km/h, like in the pit lane. I was getting showered with debris, his tyre was bent, and I thought that if I stayed behind, the tyre might come off and hit me.”
“It was an unnecessary situation—driving behind at 80 km/h waiting to get hit, or not get hit by luck. But apparently, the rule is to stay behind,” he continued, explaining why he chose to overtake.
“He was completely to the left to avoid an incident with another driver and did a good job. That’s why I went all the way to the right, I had clear visibility, I checked for other cars, and I passed him at 170 km/h—half our normal speed—to avoid a bad situation.”
“The rule is the rule, but this was free practice and I don’t think I deserved that penalty. There was debris everywhere, not just in the final corner—he was shedding parts in every turn, and I don’t see what they wanted me to do.”
Speaking about his initial 11th place, which will become 20th after the penalty, the Japanese driver is understandably frustrated: “It’s not ideal. I’m in a learning process, and with a car I know, I can tell in which corners I can push to the limit. But with this car, I don’t have the confidence to do that. It will come, but it’s not there yet.”