Former Components 1 driver and Sky Sports activities analyst Martin Brundle has argued that Purple Bull’s crew radio directions to Yuki Tsunoda throughout the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix had been “bordering on menacing”.
The Milton Keynes outfit knew that the second would come within the season-ending race at Yas Marina Circuit when championship chief Lando Norris would wish to go Tsunoda after a pitstop. With Tsunoda’s team-mate Max Verstappen combating Norris for the championship title, the crew instructed the Japanese driver ” what to do” over the crew radio because the McLaren approached his rear.
Whereas Purple Bull had probably hoped that Tsunoda would have held Norris up for a minimum of just a few turns, the McLaren driver overtook him pretty rapidly however was compelled off the monitor within the course of.
The stewards launched two investigations, one for Tsunoda probably forcing Norris off the monitor and one other for Norris probably leaving the monitor and gaining a bonus. For Norris, the stewards deemed no additional motion was required, and Tsunoda was handed a five-second penalty for forcing the Briton off the monitor.
“I actually do not thoughts a little bit of strategic crew play, everyone has two vehicles to make use of at their aggressive finest, however the ‘ what to do’ radio calls had been bordering on menacing, together with him being instructed the hole from Norris to Leclerc of 1.4 seconds,” Brundle wrote in his Sky Sports activities F1 column.
“Yuki ought to have backed Lando up from the tight turns 12 by to Flip 5 on the subsequent lap, that may have been comparatively straightforward and really efficient. As a substitute, he selected to weave down the again straight like a drunken sailor whereas breaching the rules, and ultimately forcing Norris to go on a dirty a part of the monitor, which turned really, off the monitor.”
Yuki Tsunoda, Purple Bull Racing
Picture by: Jayce Illman / Getty Pictures
Brundle agreed with the stewards’ determination.
“Tsunoda rightly acquired a five-second penalty for that clear breach, however what of Norris’ go off-track and sustaining a bonus? He could not hand the place again as a result of Leclerc had now handed Tsunoda too. Luckily for Norris, the stewards made a rational determination,” he added.
Tsunoda parted methods with Purple Bull on the finish of the season and is ready to get replaced by Isack Hadjar for 2026.
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