Yuki Tsunoda says Red Bull missed points in F1 Mexico GP on his side after good race pace, as Laurent Mekies concedes strategy and pit stop cost him.
After an average qualifying, Red Bull’s Tsunoda was up to 10th after another good opening lap in F1 Mexico GP. Even though the Japanese was outside Q3 on Saturday, he was closer to Max Verstappen all-through. It was similar in the race, where he lapped not hugely far off from his teammate.
He looked good to stay with the likes of Mercedes pair, Oscar Piastri and Oliver Bearman after a good start. But an extended first stint only hurt his tyres, which allowed the likes of Esteban Ocon and Gabriel Bortoleto to catch up. A slow pit stop only damaged Tsunoda even further.
It dropped him outside the Top 10 and a bit far off the runners, which he didn’t manage to bridge by the end of it. He felt sixth or seventh was possible without errors. Aside the lack of result, he was positive about his race pace, where he felt much closer to Verstappen, who finished third.
“It was tough in first stint, not easy at all. I don’t think we were also particularly fast but just managing the stint, that’s how we were able to maximise as a team, that’s what we are good at,” said Tsunoda to media. “Like I said, without very difficult with the car, I think I was able to maximise it, consistent as well, pretty difficult, so something to look at.
“Yeah, points were easily possible in Mexico, probably around P6, P7. We just threw away the points from places which I couldn’t control. But I think, to be honest, what I’ve done was pretty good. I’ve just lost the points with areas I can’t control. So, very frustrating. Yeah, I mean, firstly, especially, I was not too far from Max, I was lapping pretty much same.
“So yeah. Like I said, he ended up P3 and I was not that far away, the first stint. And yeah, we just pitstop timing and pit-stop. Made it myself, a lot about that, so what I’ve done today was, I think it’s good and probably one of the best pace I’ve shown in the Red Bull in long run. But just didn’t able to see it in the results, which was very shameful.
“No [no change made], confident in myself, yeah [for better starts],” summed up Tsunoda. Team boss Mekies concurred with the Japanese that the team let him down in Mexico. The Frenchman thought he did a good job overall being closer to Verstappen and put himself in contention for good points in their push to secure second in the constructors’ championship.
“I agree with you, I think Yuki had his best weekend in a long time,” said Mekies to media. “So, we have said that a few times, but it is true. It was very, very close in quali to Max. I think it was two-tenths in Q2. And the first hint was very, very strong as well, two-tenths, three-tenths from Max, on the same very long first stint on the medium.
“Then after, fair enough, I think after, I think it’s on our side, we left him out a little bit longer because there was an advantage for us to do that. And we had a slight pit stop [issue]. So, we killed a few points that you could have scored on merit,” summed up Mekies.
Here’s Max Verstappen, Laurent Mekies on Mexico GP
Here’s Esteban Ocon unhappy with Yuki Tsunoda
