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A Difficult Weekend for Tsunoda and RB
Tsunoda’s demotion to the pit lane is the latest challenge in what has been a tough weekend for the RB team. While Tsunoda has had flashes of pace throughout the 2025 season and has delivered some strong results, the Miami sprint format proved especially punishing for any slip-ups.
With limited time and a condensed qualifying session, any issues—be it traffic, miscommunication, or setup problems—are heavily magnified. The team’s decision to alter the suspension settings may have been a last-ditch effort to improve performance, but it ultimately backfired.
Despite the setback, Tsunoda remains focused on the bigger picture as he continues to adapt to changes within the team and car this season. He has shown improved maturity and racecraft in recent Grands Prix and will aim to use the rest of the Miami weekend to recover lost ground.
Outlook for the Sprint and Grand Prix
Starting from the pit lane in a sprint race is far from ideal, especially at a circuit like Miami, where overtaking opportunities can be limited due to the street-style layout and unpredictable grip levels. However, with the sprint offering fewer laps and more strategic freedom, there is still a slim chance for Tsunoda to salvage something if the race sees chaos, retirements, or variable weather conditions.
More importantly, the sprint performance will serve as a testbed for the main event on Sunday. Any data gathered can be used to improve the car’s setup for the Grand Prix, where championship points are on offer. Tsunoda and the RB team will be hoping that lessons learned from this costly regulation breach help them avoid similar issues in the future.
