Tsunoda Demoted Three Spots for Obstructing Hamilton in Dutch GP Qualifiers

Race officials declared that Yuki Tsunoda, the AlphaTauri contender, didn’t adequately clear the way on the dry part of the track around Turn 13 while gearing up for a sprint lap during the second qualifying round (Q2).

This obstruction affected Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champ, causing him to miss the cut for the top 10 faceoff. He will now launch from the 13th position on the grid.

Due to this ruling, Tsunoda, who clocked the 14th quickest time, will find himself starting behind Nico Hulkenberg, Zhou Guanyu, and Esteban Ocon of the Alpine team.

In another twist, Logan Sargeant and Charles Leclerc, both of whom crashed during Q3, might end up incurring grid penalties or begin the race from the pit lane, depending on the severity of the repairs their cars require.

Officials pointed out: “Tsunoda was situated on the dry section of the track coming out of Turn 13, getting ready for a rapid lap but hadn’t reached full speed, thereby causing hindrance to Hamilton.”

Tsunoda offered the defense that another car had overtaken him, and he had chosen to maintain a slower pace to regain a comfortable distance between them.

However, the stewards concluded that Tsunoda clearly had the capacity to stay clear of Hamilton’s way and branded the obstruction as “uncalled for.”

Mercedes’ team manager Toto Wolff expressed deep frustration over the incident, calling it “excruciating” to see Hamilton fail to qualify for Q3 due to the “unpleasant” obstruction. Wolff urged FIA authorities to impose stricter sanctions more frequently to discourage such behaviors.

Contrarily, Hamilton dismissed the idea that the obstruction had anything to do with his Q2 elimination.

Interestingly, both Aston Martin drivers—Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll—dodged any punitive action despite their suspected role in blocking Hamilton earlier in the session.

On a related note, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz has received his first warning of the season, along with a €5000 fine for his team, following a near-collision with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri that pushed Piastri onto the grass.

Sainz was exiting the pit lane and forced Piastri onto the track’s edge. After meeting both drivers, the officials deemed Sainz’s action as “potentially hazardous,” noting that he immediately switched to the racing line.

While Piastri’s quick reflexes averted a collision, FIA observers stated that Valtteri Bottas of Alfa Romeo, who was ahead of Sainz during the pit exit, had sufficient early warning, unlike Sainz.

According to the official judgment: “Sainz acknowledged catching a glimpse of Piastri as he rounded Turn 1 after exiting the pit and assumed Piastri was on a slow lap. From that point on, due to the angle of the cars, he lost sight of Piastri. He also stated that he was keen on getting to the drier part of the track as swiftly as possible.”

So, for all the F1 aficionados out there, let’s just say it’s shaping up to be a weekend chock-full of high-octane drama. Buckle up!

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