RED BULL suffered another disaster as Yuki Tsunoda smashed into the wall in practice, causing huge damage to the car.
The red flag came out with five minutes to go as the Japanese driver clobbered into the wall on the exit of the final turn in Jeddah.
Yuki Tsunoda smashed into a wall at the Saudi GP[/caption]
The new Red Bull driver walked away unhurt but there was considerable damage to the car[/caption]
Red Bull mechanics watched on in horror as the 24-year-old clipped the wall on the final corner[/caption]
Tsunoda was unharmed in the incident but the car was looking worse for wear with debris flying all over the track.
The 24-year-old managed seventh fastest before his smash, with McLaren’s Lando Norris recording the best time of P2.
Tsunoda replaced Liam Lawson as Max Verstappen’s teammate just two drives into the season.
Lawson, 23, was dumped by Red Bull chiefs after failing to get to grips with the RB21 during the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix.
Tsunoda looked to be getting to grips with the car after finishing in the top 10 in Bahrain.
But his latest smash comes after he claimed he could “beat” four-time world champion Verstappen.
In the build-up to practice in Saudi Arabia, Tsunoda told RacingNews365: “Obviously I’m still learning, but also the pace has to come at the same time.
“Those things are always important in qualifying and the race.
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“As long as they are the two sessions I’m in a good position that Red Bull wants me to be, FP1 to FP3, I will use as learning sessions.
“It’s my first time driving a completely different car – I only drove with VCARB for the last four years, so it’s the first time I drove a completely different team’s car.
“I’m trying to use that, and I know that if I unlock that area, I would be able to probably beat [Verstappen].
“I know myself that I can’t beat him straight away, so I’m just trying to build a good baseline and wait for the moment that I can be in the [best] shape.”
Red Bull have suffered with pace problems compared to constructor leaders McLaren,
Norris and Oscar Piastri – the winner in Bahrain last week – sit first and second in the Drivers’ Championship.
F1 2025
THE new Formula One season is well underway – and one team appear to be running away with it.
A massive summer of change saw Lewis Hamilton move on from Mercedes and join Ferrari, while the McLaren pair of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have a big chance to end Max Verstappen‘s recent dominance.
The Red Bull ace is aiming for a record-equalling FIFTH consecutive world title.
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According to BBC Sport, a clause written into Verstappen’s contract says Red Bull have to provide him with a winning car or else he is free to leave.
Team advisor Helmut Marko has suggested there is currently “great concern” over Verstappen’s future with Red Bull owing to the performance issues they are facing.
Marko, 81, told Sky Germany: “The concern is great.
“Improvements have to come in the near future so that he has a car with which he can win again.
“We have to create a basis with a car so that he can fight for the world championship.”