Yuki Tsunoda was left with “no idea” as to why he went from fifth in the Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix Sprint, to being knocked out in Q1 for the full race.
The Japanese driver stunned everyone in Doha by outqualifying team-mate Max Verstappen for the first time on Friday night.
And despite falling behind the Dutchman at the start, Tsunoda kept it steady to finish fifth, despite a five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits.
However, just a few hours later, it all went wrong in qualifying, and Tsunoda found himself dumped out at the first part, leaving him with work to do from 16th.
Speaking to media including Motorsport Week after qualifying, Tsunoda was without explanation as to what exactly happened, especially given hs felt his runs in the RB21 had been fruitful.
“I have no idea what happened because the lap was pretty tidy,” he said. “Similar to what I had even yesterday [when it was enough for] P5.
“The car was pretty much the same. We changed one thing but it shouldn’t affect that much. Yeah, I have no idea. Suddenly I lost the grip or pace.”
It was a bizarre anomaly for Tsunoda, who also said the result was “strange,” given he made “no errors” on a lap he deemed “pretty good”.
With speculation now rife that Tsunoda is now facing a best possible personal result of heading back to satellite team Racing Bulls, he will need to muster all the speed he can in the race, given rumours are pitting him against its current driver Liam Lawson for a spot alongside Arvid Lindblad for 2026.
Asked whether a strong showing in the race will contribute to a potential assistance in his cause, Tsunoda replied: “I mean, I know you guys [the media] want a twist and everything, but it’s not decided yet.”
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