Amid the turbulent and rain-drenched qualifying session at Interlagos, Yuki Tsunoda showcased what he is made of, securing his best-ever starting position in Formula 1. The Japanese driver, starting P3, displayed great command over the challenging conditions, setting himself up for a promising race ahead.
With five red flags marking one of the most unpredictable qualifying sessions of the season, Tsunoda navigated through the chaos to secure a spot on the second row. Speaking post-session, he reflected on the intense challenges of the day, Tsunoda said, “Yeah, it was very tricky.”
“Certainly, I enjoyed it. I think we had a good pace from straight away, made some mistakes, but yeah, had a bit of luck as well. I think overall as a team, including Liam as well, we did a really, really good job.”
Interlagos has always been known for its unpredictable weather, and Tsunoda acknowledged the inherent risks drivers face, particularly when conditions shift rapidly. He had an off at turn 4 at one point but managed to carry on.
Addressing the challenges of finding the perfect balance between risk and caution, he said, “Yeah, I mean, this track especially, probably is one of the trickiest.
“You know, once you start building confidence, and you try to over-push a little bit, you have massive consequence like we saw with multiple cars today. And I had one big moment, and luckily, I was away from the barrier.”
“But yeah, it’s certainly also the track you want to nail it. But yeah, I feel much better than yesterday. The car felt good. I think we had a good pace in the rain as well. So it’s a good place to start for today.”
Tsunoda also turned his attention to the team’s prospects in the crucial Constructors’ Championship fight, emphasising the importance of capitalising on their advantageous starting positions. With both Haas cars out early, RB has a significant opportunity to close the points gap.
“Yeah, 100%. We are slightly behind P6, especially Haas. So we definitely need catching up. And this is the moment that we want to maximise opportunity. So yeah, as a team, we do as much as we can to score as much as possible,” Tsunoda affirmed.
With the main race looming, Tsunoda’s standout P3 qualifying has sparked excitement, not only for his personal career, but for RB’s bid in the championship standings.
