Verstappen ally Tsunoda put in extra effort to delay Hamilton

40

AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda says he did everything to hold up Lewis Hamilton in the opening stages of the Turkish Grand Prix in a bid to help Red Bull's Max Verstappen up ahead.

The Japanese driver lined up on last Sunday's grid P9, or two spots ahead of Hamilton, but the pair were locked in battle at the outset.

Despite Tsunoda's strong defence, the Mercedes driver eventually passed the young charger on lap eight with a bold maneuver on the outside of Istanbul Park's Turn 8.

The AlphaTauri driver later admitted that he had put in an extra effort to try and delay Hamilton's progress while Verstappen pressed on up ahead.

But Tsunoda's strong laps came to the detriment of his tyres.

Read also: F1i's Driver Ratings for the 2021 Turkish GP

"I want Max to win in the last year of Honda, and for Red Bull as well," he said. "So I tried to hold Lewis up as much as possible, for I don't know how many laps.

"I was trying to save more of my tyre. I tried to hold him behind for 20 laps. Eight laps is not enough."

Tsunoda was hopeful of achieving a top-ten finish but said that the poor visibility in the damp conditions led to him believing that a car was closer than it was, which encouraged him to push, which in turn led to a spin that thwarted his top-ten ambitions.

"I couldn't see anything because of dirt and dust," Tsunoda said. "I just couldn't see, I thought there was a car right behind me so I just have to push, and I spun.

"The spin ruined my whole race so it's a shame. We [would have been] able to score points so, yeah, just a shame."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.