Yuki Tsunoda has insisted he will do “as much as I can” to help team-mate Max Verstappen secure a fifth-consecutive Formula 1 title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Verstappen secured a crucial pole position, in his bid to secure a fifth-consecutive F1 title, at the Yas Marina Circuit, on Saturday.
Meanwhile, his team-mate Tsunoda, who has struggled for results in the RB21 so far made it into Q3 for only the seventh-time this season.
The Japanese racing driver was involved with a pit-lane incident during FP3 with Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli, however, that almost jeoparised his position.
“After that Antonelli collision, I had to revert back to the old floor, which, to be honest, cost my team a lot of performance into qualifying,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“So, I kind of expected it would be a difficult qualifying to get through Q3.”
That said, this would come as a welcome result for the Milton-Keynes-based squad and the Dutchman, with the former gunning for the title against the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri during the Grand Prix on Sunday.
Verstappen needs to win the race and hope Norris finished outside the top-three to secure his fifth F1 title.
With Tsunoda starting the race from 10th on the grid, he revealed he was willing to “compromise” his own strategy to ensure Verstappen has the best chance possible to outscore the McLarens.
“I don’t know, you never know,” he replied when asked if the team could split strategies and ask him to hold up the McLaren pair.
“But, yeah, I’ll do as much as I can to help him. Most likely it would probably compromise my strategy, but with his position, how he ended up, there’s still a chance to get a championship.
“So, I’ll do as much as I can. Yeah, let’s see.”
Tsunoda reveals ‘stressful’ Verstappen gameplan: ‘It was very stressful but I nailed it’
The 25-year-old’s presence during the top-10 shootout also came in handy for the four-time World Champion during his first flying lap.
Tsunoda was seen giving the 28-year-old a handy tow on the back straight into Turn 9.
“Obviously, going through Q3 and helping Max was the baseline plan,” he explained.
But with the older spec floor, that had given him a hard time earlier in the season, Tsunoda was tentative if he would be able to execute the team’s plan.
“But at the same time, I was a little bit worried about that, with that spec [floor],” admitted the 25-year-old.
“At the same time, yeah, I mean, they ultimately made it through, helped Max, which gave him a bit more confidence in the second set, which was… I reasonably happy with my job.”
The Honda-backed driver also detailed how he had to pace himself to a tee during Verstappen’s flying lap to ensure he only helped him and not impede him.
“I had more pressure moments, pressure or stress when I helped him in the tow, because I couldn’t be very close to turn 5, couldn’t be very far,” he said.
“So yeah, it was very stressful, to be honest. But at least I nailed it, and they gave me some compliments. So yeah, I take it.”
Looking ahead to the race on Sunday, Tsunoda insisted that his pace off late has been close to Verstappen – only overshadowed by how tight the margins have been between the grid.
“It’s always been tight. And, I mean, with my pace, what I’ve shown last five, six races against Max, it’s always been close, but always missing out because of that very tight field,” asserted the 25-year-old.
“So, I mean, yeah, and you can’t control that. I was only focussing to that, adjusting to the floor, and maximising performance.
“And the moments I was a little bit scared with Q2, but I got through, and I think reasonably happy with the balance. So, yeah, I think we did well as a team.”
READ MORE – Max Verstappen admits to needing ‘help or luck’ to win F1 title despite Abu Dhabi GP pole
Discussion about this post