Tsunoda vows caution after Jeddah clash with Gasly

Yuki Tsunoda reflects on his Saudi GP crash, promising a smarter, safer approach in tight first-lap corners like Jeddah’s Turn 4.

Yuki Tsunoda says he’ll take a more cautious approach at the start of future Saudi Arabian Grands Prix after his early crash with Pierre Gasly this year, an incident he believes could have been avoided.

The Japanese driver collided with his former AlphaTauri teammate in Turn 4 of the opening lap in Jeddah, ending the race for both. Tsunoda clipped the rear-left tyre of Gasly’s car as the Alpine driver held the outside line. The contact sent both spinning into the wall.

Gasly retired on the spot, while Tsunoda managed to bring his car back to the garage before his team pulled him from the race, concerned about potential mechanical damage.

Race stewards reviewed the incident but opted not to penalize either driver, concluding that no one was primarily at fault.

Tsunoda agreed with the verdict but admitted he’d approach the situation differently in the future.

“I can’t completely blame Pierre — it’s not like he drove into me,” Tsunoda said. “But we both knew that corner is the tightest on the track. And from experience, we know what can happen on lap one with low grip.”

“I was in control — I wasn’t going too fast or out of shape. I was just behind Carlos [Sainz], and it’s not like I was about to hit him.”

“I did everything I could to avoid contact, but with the low grip and how narrow that part of the track is, it was just unfortunate. I think we both could have been more careful — and I definitely will be next time.”

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Tsunoda vows caution after Jeddah clash with Gasly
Tsunoda vows caution after Jeddah clash with Gasly