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Tsunoda Qualifies 18th for Interlagos Sprint, 12 Places Behind Verstappen

He pointed to low grip rather than his FP1 crash as the cause after limited running in the one-hour sprint weekend format.

Overview

  • He was knocked out in SQ1, extending a pattern of early sprint qualifying exits since joining Red Bull.
  • A Turn 5 off in the only practice hour forced a tyre change and left him with the fewest laps completed of any driver.
  • Tsunoda said his qualifying lap felt normal but described a general lack of grip and dismissed the crash as the decisive factor.
  • Timing showed a deficit of roughly seven-tenths to Max Verstappen in SQ1, highlighting a persistent intra-team gap.
  • The compressed sprint format limits preparation and magnifies setbacks, though previous races such as Austin show he can recover ground in race conditions.