Tsunoda handed a ten-place grid penalty for the Canadian Grand Prix
Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda will start today's Canadian Grand Prix from the last position on the grid after having received a ten-place grid penalty for a red flag incident that occurred in FP3.
The final practice session of the Montreal weekend was stopped just before the halfway point owing to debris on track at the final turn. Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg clipped the barrier, leaving some parts of his car on the racing line.
Championship leader Oscar Piastri also had a brush with the barriers at the 'Wall of Champions". Although the McLaren driver could continue and limp back into the pits, he picked up a puncture.
Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda was found guilty of having overtaken Piastri when the red flag was out, and the stewards decided to give the Japanese driver a 10-place grid drop, mirroring the punishment received by Haas’ Ollie Bearman for the same offence in Monaco.
As a result of his penalty, Tsunoda will start the Montreal race from the last place on the grid.
The statement from the stewards read: "The Stewards heard from the driver of Car 22 (Yuki Tsunoda), team representative and reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video, timing, telemetry and in-car video evidence.
"Car 81 (Piastri) had earlier collided with the barrier at the exit of turn 14 and damaged the rear right wheel and sustained a puncture and suspension damage.
"A red flag was displayed when Car 22 was at turn 6. Car 22 reduced speed at that point. After turn 12, Car 22 was approaching Car 81 on the back straight. The driver of Car 22 said that he saw Car 81 travelling slowly on the left side of the track with obvious damage.
"He said that he was worried that he might be struck by debris from Car 81 and decided to overtake. Telemetry showed that Car 81 was travelling at 86kph when Car 22 overtook at a speed of 171kph.
"Having considered the matter extensively, the Stewards determined that while Car 81 had an obvious problem, it was not travelling at such a speed that it prevented Car 22 from following it at a safe distance. The circumstances were such that there was no justifiable reason for the driver of Car 22 to have overtaken Car 81."
