The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix produced one of the most intense qualifying sessions of the 2024 Formula 1 season so far.
All eyes were on whether the two McLaren drivers could end Max Verstappen’s run of pole positions but against all odds the Dutchman matched Ayrton Senna’s record with a phenomenal lap.
Ted Kravitz was speaking on Ted’s Notebook in the paddock after the session and was assessing how each driver fared.
It was another hour of qualifying where several drivers reaffirmed their dominance over their teammates.
Nico Hulkenberg once again reached Q3 while Kevin Magnussen’s impeded Q1 lap meant he’ll start 18.
The under-pressure Logan Sargeant will start the race at the back of the grid while Alex Albon managed to reach Q2 after signing a new deal with Williams.
However, Kravitz has said that despite Yuki Tsunoda once again outqualifying RB teammate Daniel Ricciardo, he wasn’t completely happy with his performance at Imola.
The Japanese driver – who has 75 points in his F1 career – will start the race in 7 but may feel he should have been on the third or even second row of the grid.
READ MORE: Visa Cash App RB driver Yuki Tsunoda’s life outside F1 from height to parents
Ted Kravitz says Yuki Tsunoda wasn’t happy after Imola qualifying
The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix is the home race for the Visa Cash App RB team.
The team’s workforce will all be in attendance on Sunday hoping to see Tsunoda and Ricciardo deliver a double-point finish for the second time this season after the Miami Grand Prix Sprint Race.
Although Suzuka is Yuki Tsunoda’s home race, Imola might as well be which may explain why Kravitz heard his displeasure with his result in qualifying.
The 24-year-old has spent a long time testing at the Italian circuit during his career, particularly when he was preparing to enter Formula 1 with AlphaTauri.
It means he knows the circuit like the back of his hand and even with the introduction of new gravel traps, he doesn’t seem fazed when it comes to pushing the track limits.
In practice, RB’s race runs didn’t look quite as positive as their qualifying pace which may be a slight concern for Tsunoda.
However, it’s one of the most difficult tracks on the calendar for overtaking – especially with only one DRS zone – so it might be a case of Tsunoda trying to nail the perfect defensive drive.
Yuki Tsunoda is back to his old habits on the team radio
Talking about the 23-year-old’s performance, Kravitz said: “Yuki Tsunoda has to be the star of qualifying today. He was P4 in Q1 with [Daniel] Ricciardo P9.
“He was P2, 0.03 [seconds] behind Charles Leclerc then couldn’t repeat that even though he did improve his time in Q3, he couldn’t improve the position.
“So, he’s P7, he was frustrated with the end result was Yuki, swore a bit on the radio, he said he thought there were still a couple of tenths out there that he could have got hold of had he had a better lap.
“Yuki’s been talking about the car which is improving, as has Daniel Ricciardo, says he’s got increased confidence in the car.”
Yuki Tsunoda describes his frustrations during Imola qualifying
After the session, Tsunoda said on the official F1 YouTube channel: “To be honest, I was expecting more from Q3.
“I didn’t really put it all together so I’m not really fully happy but I think until then it was pretty good.
“Yeah, the first time I was able to go through with one set in Q2, so that’s definitely positive and overall this week was a pretty solid week, so I just [need] to finish strong tomorrow as well.”
Tsunoda’s temperament has improved this season but as Kravitz has pointed, he is right to be frustrated with his performance in Q3 at Imola.
The Japanese driver has been brilliant this season and the fact that he’s disappointed with a 7-place start ahead of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton shows how far he’s come.
His future is still undecided and will be well aware that he needs to keep beating Ricciardo to make sure he’s in pole position to potentially partner Liam Lawson in 2025.
The post ‘He was frustrated’: Ted Kravitz admits 75-point F1 ‘star’ was so angry on the radio after Imola qualifying appeared first on F1 Oversteer.