Tsunoda to Start Las Vegas GP from Pit Lane After Red Bull Error

Yuki Tsunoda will start Sunday's Las Vegas Grand Prix from the pit lane after Red Bull Racing admitted a critical error with his tyre pressures contributed to his early elimination from qualifying in heavy rain on Saturday night.

The Japanese driver, who joined Red Bull's senior team this season, was dumped out in the first segment of qualifying, posting a time that left him 19th on the grid alongside Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton in 20th. Conditions at the street circuit were treacherous, with standing water and low visibility forcing drivers to use extreme wet tyres for the first time since 2024's Brazilian Grand Prix. Tsunoda described the grip levels as unprecedented in his Formula One career, likening the sensation to "driving on ice" during his lap.

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies took full responsibility for the blunder, which left Tsunoda with settings that severely hampered his competitiveness. "We made a big mistake with his tyre pressure which meant that he was out there with a setting that basically gave him no chance to be competitive," Mekies said. "So we as a team apologise to him for that. This sort of thing should not happen, but it did, so the best we can do...