Yuki Tsunoda was pissed off to have suffered an early qualifying elimination for the USA Grand Prix dash race.
The Japanese driver, who seems set to lose his Pink Bull seat for 2026, dropped out within the first a part of dash qualifying in 18th after failing to succeed in the timing line to begin his last lap earlier than the chequered flag was waved.
Tsunoda was despatched out final by Pink Bull on the finish of SQ1, leaving him with an excessive amount of to do to be able to full his out-lap in time.
A shocked Tsunoda insisted his “surprising” exit was “not in my management”.
“The timing of the storage exit was, I feel, not even shut,” Tsunoda rued to the official Method 1 channel.
“I don’t know what’s occurred there, to be trustworthy. One thing went incorrect and we didn’t have any alternative to do a lap time so [it’s a] disgrace.
“It’s very irritating as a result of […] it’s not in my management. It’s not a factor I can management, to be trustworthy.
“We will management it, however it was extra as much as them relatively than myself, managing the timing. So it’s fairly surprising.”
Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson, who Tsunoda changed at Pink Bull after the second race of the season, prevented his former teammate from overtaking him through the out-lap.
Tsunoda’s state of affairs was not helped by the very fact he additionally needed to get out of the way in which of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who was on a timed lap.
Max Verstappen went on to say pole place for Saturday’s dash race within the different Pink Bull.
Pink Bull apologise to Tsunoda
Pink Bull boss Laurent Mekies admitted Tsunoda’s elimination was a results of a group error and apologised to his driver.
“We acquired it incorrect, truthfully,” Mekies instructed Sky. “We apologise to Yuki, the programme was a bit too tight.
“It was a selection between staying out and cooling down [the car] on-track, or attempting to chill down a bit higher within the storage.
“We thought we might have the time to come back again into the storage and get out once more, however it was solely potential for just a few automobiles to try this and we missed the reduce. So we owe Yuki and apologise there.”
