Former Components 1 driver and Sky Sports activities analyst Martin Brundle has argued that Purple Bull’s crew radio directions to Yuki Tsunoda in the course of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix have been “bordering on menacing”.
The Milton Keynes outfit knew that the second would come within the season-ending race at Yas Marina Circuit when championship chief Lando Norris would wish to move Tsunoda after a pitstop. With Tsunoda’s team-mate Max Verstappen combating Norris for the championship title, the crew informed the Japanese driver “you understand what to do” over the crew radio because the McLaren approached his rear.
Whereas Purple Bull had probably hoped that Tsunoda would have held Norris up for at the least a number of turns, the McLaren driver overtook him pretty rapidly however was pressured off the observe within the course of.
The stewards launched two investigations, one for Tsunoda doubtlessly forcing Norris off the observe and one other for Norris presumably leaving the observe and gaining a bonus. For Norris, the stewards deemed no additional motion was required, and Tsunoda was handed a five-second penalty for forcing the Briton off the observe.
“I actually do not thoughts a little bit of strategic crew play, all people has two automobiles to make use of at their aggressive finest, however the ‘you understand what to do’ radio calls have been bordering on menacing, together with him being informed the hole from Norris to Leclerc of 1.4 seconds,” Brundle wrote in his Sky Sports activities F1 column.
“Yuki ought to have backed Lando up from the tight turns 12 by to Flip 5 on the subsequent lap, that may have been comparatively simple and really efficient. As an alternative, he selected to weave down the again straight like a drunken sailor whereas breaching the laws, and ultimately forcing Norris to move on a grimy a part of the observe, which grew to become truly, off the observe.”
Yuki Tsunoda, Purple Bull Racing
Photograph by: Jayce Illman / Getty Pictures
Brundle agreed with the stewards’ determination.
“Tsunoda rightly bought a five-second penalty for that clear breach, however what of Norris’ move off-track and sustaining a bonus? He could not hand the place again as a result of Leclerc had now handed Tsunoda too. Fortuitously for Norris, the stewards made a rational determination,” he added.
Tsunoda parted methods with Purple Bull on the finish of the season and is about to get replaced by Isack Hadjar for 2026.
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