A positive qualifying session in Singapore will see Yuki Tsunoda start the race in P8, his first Q3 appearance since the Hungarian GP before the summer break.
Despite the strong result, Tsunoda didn’t appear too content with his car, a lack of efficiency the main issue for the RB driver, claiming the car is lacking both straight-line speed and downforce compared to the cars around him, specifically the Haas of Nico Hülkenberg who ended the session best of the midfield runners in P6.
“I would say I mean, considering that they are pretty fast in the straight, so they are a little bit lower downforce but still in the end, somehow they are able to drive as fast as us in the corner as well.
“So they are definitely a better, efficient car that we are aiming for throughout the year for development.”
The Japanese driver was optimistic about his Q3 performance, believing there was more to give on his lap had he not been compromised on his out-lap.
“Yeah, last lap in Q3 was a bit compromised by out-lap, which had to be a bit rushed to make the line, and I couldn’t do normal warm-up, which built a bit less grip throughout the lap and the push lap, and that gives me a bit of lap time compromise I feel like.
“I have to look at the data. It didn’t feel perfect or able to put it all together.”
He added “it would have been tight” when asked if Hülkenberg was beatable with a perfect lap.
There was a sense of relief around Tsunoda’s qualifying as an RB car that has usually shown strong pace on a Friday, finally transferred to qualifying performance. In FP2, he was P4, with Daniel Ricciardo backing that up as he went 6th quickest.
But the other midfield teams found a step on Saturday. Haas in particular made a significant leap following a tough Friday.
“I think the usual trend throughout the year probably, we started normally ahead on Friday, and most of the competitors picked up pace quite a lot, so to be honest, kind of as I expected […] probably not as much as today that we struggled.
“But yeah, I mean, still made it to Q3, which is good it’s been a while, wasn’t easy, yeah, it’s pretty tough I would say, going through [to] Q3. Yeah, it was good.”
The team who took over this unfortunate role in qualifying was Williams. Tsunoda was surprised as the Grove-based team were expected to lead the midfield, instead both were knocked out in Q2.
Albon and Colapinto had been fractionally faster than the Japanese driver in Q1.
“I thought they were topping the midfield, I thought. Still considering Q1, they are really fast.
“Luckily I was able to pull it all together, everything. But yeah, I didn’t expect that both Williams would be out in Q2.”
