Yuki Tsunoda expected a bit more in F1 Imola GP than 10th especially after how their weekend started, as Daniel Ricciardo adds his side.
Much like how Ferrari started their weekend in F1 Imola GP, Vias Cash App RB did so as well especially on the side of Tsunoda. It wasn’t as good for Daniel Ricciardo, but he came around with a Top 10 in qualifying, only to lose out in the grand prix.
Both Tsunoda and Ricciardo had a slow start to their race and dropped behind their competition. While the Japanese was still in good contention for points, he lost out to Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll after his late charge into the points from outside Top 10.
After the start to the weekend, Tsunoda hoped for more but was still pleased to get away a point in the team’s home race. “With a perfect race, probably, I would have able to ended up a step higher position,” he said. “For sure that start, that I lost two positions hurt my race today, but still able to finish in the points – wasn’t easy with the tyres, tyre management.
“So yeah, still we take it. I mean, obviously it’s not ideal, especially when you’re aiming for probably more fighting with Mercedes, but they even lost a position even to one of Aston. So… for sure, Aston had a good pace, but still we would been able to end up in front of him.
“That starts for sure hurts a lot. But the thing is still we’re able to make it work with the 50 laps hard tyre, which it wasn’t easy. And yeah, I think that’s positive for us at least. Why we faltered at the start, it is a kind of topic for our team, we’re working hard. We really working hard for the starts throughout the races so far.
“But yeah, we have improved a little bit, but for sure we need a step more, because I would say consistency is not there. So we have to look for the future,” summed up Tsunoda, as teammate Ricciardo backed-up in saying that they need consistency with their start which will help them in tight circuits like Imola.
“Wasn’t as good, yeah,” said Ricciardo. “I still think the laps we have in clear air, we show some pace. I feel like in clear air, we probably have a tenth, maybe two, on Hulkenberg. So I think it looks very different if we get a better start. In saying that, I still didn’t feel particularly happy with the set of hard tyres.
“As soon as I left the box, I didn’t really feel like I had a great peak on the tyre. I didn’t feel balance was great, but nonetheless I still felt like we had an ability to lap decent compared to our rivals. But yeah, the starts, they’re hurting us at the moment. Honestly, I don’t know yet what the issue was.
“I didn’t feel like I botched it, I felt like everything was going okay from the procedure. We have to have a look. It’s so sensitive, it’s something we’re working on. Obviously, it cost us. It’s probably just an inconsistency. Obviously, Miami, when I was in fourth, when you really need a good start, fortunately I did, I had a good start off fourth and obviously gaining a position.
“But we’re just looking for consistency, we don’t want these starts where we lose two positions. I don’t need to be getting the best starts out of everyone, but just at least try and hold position. Look, it’s something we’ve put a lot of effort into. Obviously, today it still bit us. Yuki also lost a place. As a team, it wasn’t great.
“I think [if] we stay in front of Hulkenberg at the start, if Yuki and I were ahead, then it’s a completely different-looking race. That’s the first place we’re going to look at,” summed up Ricciardo, who ended up outside the points and even lost Haas’ Kevin Magnussen in the final stages due to the Dane’s alternate strategy.
“Last lap, I think they just had an alternate strategy,” he said. “It’s another place where he was already ahead of me braking into turn 1. When I was behind Sargeant in the middle of the race, obviously we were a lot quicker but I was never even alongside him breaking into turn 1. Maybe Kevin had a bigger tyre delta, I don’t know.
“Following, we feel like people are able to overtake us a little easier than we’re maybe able to overtake them. Some things we’re still trying to work on with obviously the car and the balance. I say the start, probably strategy as well today, maybe we could have done something different. Probably easy to say now! It’s something we’re going to look at.”
Here’s how F1 Imola GP panned out
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