Points have once again cruelly slipped away from Yuki Tsunoda, with the 22-year-old denied a season-best P9 finish at the Spanish GP – due to a late penalty for his battle with Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu.
The FIA penalised Tsunoda for forcing another driver off track into turn 1, deeming that the Japanese ace failed to leave enough space for his rival and thus issuing a 5-second time penalty as a punishment.
Formula 1’s highly competitive midfield was again on show in Spain, with a sequence of cars within five seconds of the AlphaTauri driver – thus pushing him outside of the points.
Brake issues at Monte Carlo, which were exacerbated by late rain, denied Tsunoda of points just two weeks ago. This context has made the nature of this penalty feel especially cruel and disproportionate.
Several drivers have defended the inside line in similar circumstances in recent years, and not just in general terms but specifically at the unique first corner of Barcelona’s Catalunya Circuit.
As a result, some have described the penalty decision as excessive and even unfair – not least Yuki Tsunoda, whose dejection and misery after the chequered flag were clear to see.
“I am super disappointed and frustrated. I think the penalty I was given for forcing another driver off the track was very harsh, but it’s something I have to accept.
“There was little space [for Zhou], but I thought thought it was enough.
“On a positive side, the team did a fantastic job to improve the brake issues we’ve been having and to put me in the fight for points the last two race weekends.
“It shows that the car is improving and the hard work is paying off. The weekend is done now, and I am looking ahead to the next race in Canada.”
Tsunoda’s criticisms certainly seem valid, especially given that Tsunoda was also awarded a penalty point for this wheel-to-wheel action, which has been described as severe in the context of incidents earlier this season.
Zhou Guanyu, perhaps unsurprisingly, argued post-race the FIA had taken the correct decision with the penalisation, explaining that he was more than halfway alongside his rival – and therefore deserving of more space.
Regardless of the divided opinions on this verdict, AlphaTauri can take encouragement from their improved competitiveness in the recent Grand Prix.
First introduced in Baku, the updates for the AT04 have seen the Faenza-made machine take significant strides from the opening rounds of the season.
Although losing on P9 (especially to a direct rival in Alfa Romeo) and the crucial points that come with it will be difficult to accept, there is no reason that Tsunoda cannot compete for points on a regular basis in the remainder of 2023.
Author: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
