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Yuki Tsunoda admitted that ninth place in the Dutch Grand Prix was likely the maximum result he could have achieved after enduring a series of setbacks and challenges in the chaotic race.
The Red Bull charger started from 12th on the grid after missing out on a spot in Q3 in qualifying and believed he had the pace to climb into the points.
However, the unpredictable nature of the 72-lap race, coupled with a power unit problem, made his path to P9 far from straightforward.
“I mean, I’m not sure what I can do better than that,” Tsunoda reflected after the race. “But I feel like everything today was against me. The first Safety Car didn’t help at all. And the second Safety Car as well.
“So, I mean, the people I was fighting with, they ended up P5, P6. Even in the last stint, I was about to try and make a position and I had those kind of issues.
“It was not even easy to even score points today. To be honest, normally in P9 you don’t feel special. But I think it’s something that gives me confidence for the future.”
For Tsunoda, the race’s disruptions and events were not the only challenges he faced. An unspecified power unit glitch left him struggling for performance at key moments.
“Obviously I can’t say specific details,” he explained when asked about the issue. “But, yeah, at some point the Safety Car was faster than my car.”
Despite that, Tsunoda praised his team for handling the situation with composure and strategy that allowed him to salvage a points finish.
“So, our team did a fantastic job to minimise damage and obviously went much better,” he said. “But still there was something in the car that lost a lot of performance. And still I was in P11. So, yeah, it was a good execution for me.”
A problem encountered by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and a couple of penalties picked by Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli ultimately allowed Tsunoda to step in to the points.
While ninth place may not usually stand out in Formula 1, the Japanese driver insisted that on this occasion the result carried weight.
But the 25-year-old will be hoping for a cleaner race and a fully functioning car next weekend in Monza.
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