Tsunoda blames "loss of power" for his Q2 exit

Having failed to progress into the last qualifying segment, Red Bull driver YukiTsunoda revealed that technical issues might have led to his suboptimal last flying lap and the subsequent exit in Q2.

Red Bull endured a shock start to the British Grand Prix weekend. The Milton Keynes-based outfit brought an updated floor to Silverstone, but the team looked unable to find the right balance for its RB21.

However, reigning champion Max Verstappen started Saturday in a much better shape, displaying heavily improved pace compared to the opening day of the weekend.

The Dutch driver then topped the first segment of qualifying and put in a sensational final flying lap to beat his nearest rivals by a tenth of a second.

His team-mate Yuki Tsunoda struggled for pace on Friday, and his weekend was also hindered by the sporting rule that forced him to sit out FP1. The Japanese driver managed to raise his game come qualifying, but it was still not enough for anything better than a P12 on the grid for tomorrow's British Grand Prix.

Reflecting on his qualifying day at Silverstone, Tsunoda revealed that technical issues might have led to his suboptimal last flying lap and the subsequent exit in Q2.

“I did a normal launch into the push lap and had some loss of power. Then I didn’t have the energy I should get until Turn 3 and I lost around one tenth. Elsewhere in the lap I didn’t feel the boost I should have, we could see the loss in the data clearly.

"It is so annoying having these kinds of issues when it counts. I was confident in the build up to the weekend and the car felt good too, so it’s frustrating. I think Q3 was very much possible without the issue.

"I was building up a good pace and was extracting performance from the car. I think I made a really good step this weekend with the car, so it is a huge frustration, I just want to have a normal qualifying session. The target now is points and I am in a better position than I have been in previous weeks to do that.

"I am pretty happy with the set up and the modifications we have made throughout the weekend, so I am feeling optimistic. I had a positive feeling with the long-run pace in FP2 and I know what to do better in the race tomorrow.”