Yuki Tsunoda Faces Total Blow in Early Qualifying Knockout

Yuki Tsunoda will have a Grand Prix weekend to forget after a tough series of events at the Canadian Grand Prix. The Japanese driver, who is marking his 100th F1 entry, faces the disappointment of starting last on the grid at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Before qualifying even began, Tsunoda received a 10-place grid penalty for overtaking Oscar Piastri under red flags during FP3. He was handed two penalty points by the stewards, adding further consequences to his mistake.

Qualifying saw Tsunoda find some pace early on, managing to briefly climb into the top 10 during the Q2 segment. However, he ultimately finished in 11th place, missing out on a shot at Q3 by a slim margin.

The penalty meant an even greater drop, pushing him down to 20th place regardless of his performance. This tough scenario comes as Tsunoda becomes the first Japanese driver to reach 100 Formula 1 entries, though he has recorded only 96 starts due to three instances where he did not start the race.

This setback is a blow for both Tsunoda and his Red Bull-affiliated team as they look for stronger results in the middle of the season. The demotion comes during a weekend when the team had aimed to build momentum and capitalize on recent progress shown at previous races.

Instead, the reality is a long fight ahead on race day from the back of the field. The penalty stemmed from a clear rules infraction in FP3, as overtaking under red flag conditions is strictly prohibited due to safety reasons.

Stewards acted quickly, applying standard sanctions to maintain fairness and safety for all competitors. In addition to the grid penalty, the two license penalty points push Tsunoda closer to a total that could lead to further disciplinary action if more points are amassed later in the year.

Sunday’s starting order will see Tsunoda lining up behind the entire pack, a challenge that will test both his racecraft and patience over the 70 laps at Montreal. With top teams like McLaren and Ferrari continuing to post strong results—Oscar Piastri currently leads the standings with 186 points, while teammate Lando Norris holds 176—the pressure is mounting on drivers such as Tsunoda to deliver clean weekends and score points.

As the Canadian Grand Prix unfolds, all eyes will be on whether Tsunoda can recover lost ground and put in a solid drive for his milestone weekend. While the penalty has made a difficult job even harder, the race will offer him a chance to show resilience and fight back through the field.