Yuki Tsunoda exonerated as Red Bull issue ominous McLaren warning
04/18/2025 03:20 PM
Christian Horner has exonerated Yuki Tsunoda following the Japanese driver's first crash for Red Bull ahead of this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Late in the second practice session, underneath the lights of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Tsunoda smashed into the wall at the final corner, heavily damaging the front of the RB21. Up until that point, Tsunoda had been building into the weekend, as recognised by Red Bull team boss Horner, but leaving them with work to do overnight. Explaining the crash to Viaplay , Horner said: "He started with the left front, and then he hit the right front, so he's done the front suspension, front wing. We hope the floor will be okay, but until we get the car back...we'll have a good look at it." Expanding further, Horner added: "He was on a long run. He's made a mistake, but up until that point, he's driven very well. You can see his confidence is coming, his times are starting to come. So it's good to see the 22 car, making progress. "He had a sensible first session, his short runs were good, and it was just a shame he's had that moment, but it shows they're all pushing." Max Verstappen, meanwhile, finished with the third-quickest time behind a McLaren one-two spearheaded by Lando Norris. The four-time F1 champion, who was just under three-tenths of a second behind Norris, suggested his form this weekend is likely to be in stark contrast to that experienced in Bahrain where he was off the pace and he complained bitterly about various issues with the RB21. "The short run looked more encouraging but there are still issues we need to work on," said Horner. "The long run is what we've got to focus on, though, so plenty to look at and work on for tomorrow." Airing his concern over McLaren's pace, Horner added: "The McLarens are a step ahead, in all honesty, and then it's very tight between Ferrari, Mercedes and ourselves. "But looking at the McLarens, they do look very, very competitive at this point in time."
