Tsunoda under pressure after new Red Bull driver hits bottom of qualifying in Spain
MONTMELO, Spain (AP) — Yuki Tsunoda is under immense pressure to turn things around after the new Red Bull driver bottomed out in qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix on Saturday.
Tsunoda will start his seventh race for Red Bull from ignominious last place. Only a massive drive on Sunday will get him back into the points.
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The Japanese driver was promoted from Red Bull's junior Racing Bulls team after the season was already underway.
Red Bull made the stunning decision after only two rounds to drop Liam Lawson as the teammate of Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen. Lawson crashed out of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and qualified in last place for the Chinese Grand Prix and its sprint race.
Now it is the 25-year-old Tsunoda who needs to show he's capable in the Red Bull seat after four previous seasons with the junior team.
Tsunoda was at a loss to explain why he and his team can't get it right.
'Whatever I do, every lap, even like a long run was a good example, just whatever I do, nothing happens,' Tsunoda said. 'It doesn't really stack up … I don't know what it is, and I can't really have any answer to that.'
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Red Bull's second seat is, naturally, constantly compared to Verstappen, and has become something of a poisoned chalice.
The experienced Sergio Pérez struggled as Verstappen's partner and his performance dipped so much last season that Red Bull lost to McLaren the constructors' title even though Verstappen won a fourth straight drivers' title.
Tsunoda's best finish so far was ninth in Bahrain. He finished last week's Monaco GP in 17th.
Verstappen will start Sunday's Spanish GP from third, behind pole sitter Oscar Piastri and his McLaren teammate Lando Norris.
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Joseph Wilson, The Associated Press
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