Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko says Yuki Tsunoda was “cocky” at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, with the Japanese rookie failing to pick up any points on Sunday.
Marko said on Austrian channel ServusTV, “Yuki had a fast car. It would definitely have been suitable for Q3.
“It was just a really stupid mistake and you can’t make it any smaller than it already is. I spoke to Yuki after the race. He was totally contrite.
“Yuki had very strong sector times on the very first lap, but slamming a great time on the very first lap doesn’t do anything at all. He was just cocky.”
Looking back at his performance, Tsunoda told Formula 1 website, “I was too aggressive into Turn 2.
“After that my pace was really good so it was a shame that I spun on the first lap and couldn’t get points.
“I feel sorry for the team, overall this weekend was really tough for me. But I’ll learn from it and do better next time.
more learning for @yukitsunoda07, looking forward to seeing more of his pace in Portugal! ?
— Scuderia AlphaTauri (@AlphaTauriF1) April 18, 2021
full team and driver quotes ? https://t.co/FhIVyno7jG pic.twitter.com/e6lBIcdYDc
“It was possible to get points this time but like I said this is a learning curve, just don’t it again next time and make it a better race.”
The Japanese driver, who practiced rigorously for the Italian circuit in pre-season, failed to live up to the hype of his debut race.
He lost control of his AlphaTauri and dramatically crashed at the Variante Alta chicane as the rear of the AT02 slammed into the tyre barrier before the car came to a halt.
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