Yuki Tsunoda was the last driver in the field to take the checkered flag at the Brazilian Grand Prix, largely due to the 20 seconds’ worth of penalties he had accumulated during the race.
The Japanese driver was handed two separate 10-second penalties. The first came after he collided with Lance Stroll on lap 6, tagging the rear end of Stroll’s Aston Martin and sending him spinning. As a result, the stewards issued Tsunoda a 10-second penalty for causing a collision with another driver.
When Tsunoda came into the pits for his next stop, he was required to serve this penalty by remaining stationary in his pit box for 10 seconds without any team member touching the car. However, this is where the root cause of his second 10-second penalty arose. His left rear wheel gun operator began working on the car as soon as it came to a stop, forgetting that the penalty needed to be served first.
This mistake led to Tsunoda being handed another 10-second penalty for the team’s failure to properly serve the original penalty during the pit stop. As a result, his race became practically unsalvageable, and he finished a disappointing 17th—the lowest position among all drivers who took the checkered flag.
### Yuki Tsunoda Rues His Outing in Brazil
Tsunoda is currently fighting for survival within Red Bull. The Austrian powerhouse will soon have to decide whether to retain the 25-year-old driver or offer the opportunity to another contender for the RB22 seat next season.
At such a critical time, Tsunoda’s goal is to move up the order and compete for top positions alongside drivers like Max Verstappen rather than struggling at the back of the pack.
Unfortunately, his hopes took a hit at Interlagos. Tsunoda was knocked out in both Q1 and SQ1 during qualifying and ended the race in 17th place.
Reflecting on what was a difficult weekend, Tsunoda said in the post-race interview:
> “It’s a shame about the contact. I didn’t even notice that I had contact. So I don’t know, it must be by foul or whatever. I’m sorry for him. Literally nothing worked this weekend, if something works, something didn’t work at the same time. One of the worst weekends. I don’t know why, but I just struggled with the grip overall. That’s it.”
### The Road Ahead for Tsunoda
Throughout the 2025 season, Yuki Tsunoda has accumulated only 28 points, with 25 of those contributing to Red Bull’s constructors’ championship tally.
With just three race weekends remaining, Tsunoda faces a critical period to prove his worth to the Red Bull hierarchy. If he fails to make a significant impact, he could be facing the exit door at Milton Keynes.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/f1/news-explained-why-yuki-tsunoda-given-second-10-second-penalty-f1-brazilian-gp
