Yuki Tsunoda endured a difficult 2025 F1 Spanish GP, as the Red Bull driver missed out on points for a second consecutive weekend. Although the Japanese racer managed to climb from the back of the grid to finish 13th, the timing of a late Safety Car ultimately dashed any remaining hopes of a top-ten result.
A pit lane start and alternative tyre strategy
From the outset, scoring in Spain appeared a tall order. Tsunoda qualified last on Saturday, prompting the team to take a strategic gamble by starting him from the pit lane. Overnight, Red Bull made suspension changes in a bid to unlock more performance from the RB21. Furthermore, Tsunoda began the race on the medium compound tyre, becoming the only driver on the grid to do so.
However, despite the alternative strategy, Tsunoda pitted around the same time as those on the soft compound, which nullified any potential advantage. Although he gained several positions during the race, he could only manage 13th at the chequered flag.
Safety Car derails progress
“Well, the Safety Car did not help the timing, probably without that there was a potential to score points. It is what it is, [I had] pretty much the same car from FP1,” Tsunoda reflected after the race.
“The pace was alright but it is not the pace I am looking [for] obviously, we are looking [for]. Yeah, it just did not improve at all.”
Crucially, Tsunoda pitted from 15th place just one lap before the Safety Car was deployed in the 2025 F1 Spanish GP. As a result, several rivals were able to complete their stops under yellow flag conditions, gaining a significant time advantage. Although Tsunoda had climbed to as high as 12th at one stage, he never truly featured in the fight for points. Meanwhile, his team mate spent much of the afternoon battling at the sharp end of the field.
Setup experiement yields little rewards
“A pit lane start is never ideal but we knew we would need to try something different for the race today to try and make up some ground,” Tsunoda explained. The team had hoped the revised set-up would yield improvements, though it ultimately made little difference to his pace.
“We were trying out different things with the set-up; it did not do much in the end today, but we have an idea on how to hopefully improve this in Canada.”
“We are not where we want to be, but we will keep working as a team and aim to remain consistent across a weekend.”
Looking ahead to Montreal
As the season progresses, Tsunoda continues to face the challenge of closing the gap to Max Verstappen. Since joining the Red Bull outfit seven races ago, Tsunoda has scored points on three occasions, with a best finish of ninth. In contrast, Verstappen has already claimed two victories and another podium, underscoring the scale of the task ahead.
The next stop on the calendar is Montreal. However, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has not been a fruitful venue for Tsunoda in the past. In three previous visits, he has yet to score a single point.
Nonetheless, with the team searching for greater consistency and performance, Tsunoda will hope that Canada marks a turning point in his season.
