Tsunoda points finish thwarted by 'hard to accept' brake issue

Yuki Tsunoda was on his way to a top-ten finish in last Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix when brake issues thwarted the AlphaTauri driver's efforts, a setback he found "hard to accept".

The Japanese driver had qualified ninth and maintained that position for 66 laps, running just ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Tsunoda briefly lost track position to the latter when he switched to intermediate tyres on lap 53, but recouped P9 as the McLaren duo underwent its own tyre changes.

• Read also: F1i's Driver Ratings for the 2023 Monaco GP

However, with just 12 laps to go, the AlphaTauri driver found himself suddenly dealing with glazing brakes, which happens when temperatures exceed a brake pad's limits. The pad material hardens and forms a glassy, smooth surface which compromises stopping power.

"This brake sucks", Tsunoda told his team over the radio. His crew nevertheless urged him to pick up the pace against his McLaren pursuers, which led to a heated exchange.

"Are you trying to crash me or what?" he quipped as frustrations set in.

Overhauled by both McLarens, he ten lost several more positions when he took to the escape road at Mirabeau, eventually dwindling down to P15 where he concluded his day.

"Until the rain started it was good," Tsunoda explained. "But I had a brake issue and suddenly couldn’t push at all, and just pace was really, really poor, so it was really tough

"The team said to push the brake more because the temperature will come up, so the brake will be in the normal range.

"So ‘okay, I appreciate it and see how it goes’. And I went immediately into the wall!

"I’m so disappointed," he added. "I can’t describe with a word, but just until the middle of the race it was such a good car and such a good pace.

"Everything went well, so it’s hard to accept what happened in the end."

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