Tsunoda to start Hungarian GP from pitlane for Red Bull F1 engine change

Red Bull Formula 1 driver Yuki Tsunoda is set to start the Hungarian Grand Prix from the pitlane after breaking parc ferme to take new power unit components.

The Japanese driver had originally qualified 16th for the race at the Hungaroring after a difficult weekend for the Milton Keynes-based outfit. 

The FIA stated in the technical delegate’s report that Tsunoda is “using a new internal combustion engine (ICE) for the remainder of the Competition.”

The report added: “The internal combustion engine used by Yuki Tsunoda is the fifth (5ᵗʰ) of the four (4) new internal combustion engines allowed for the 2025 Championship season and this is not in conformity with Article 28.2 of the 2025 Formula One Sporting Regulations.”

Tsunoda’s RB21 has also been fitted with a new turbocharger and a new motor generator unit-heat (MGU-H). The turbocharger is his fifth of the season so far, as is the MGU-H.

Tsunoda showed signs of improvements in qualifying, his best Q1 lap 0.168s off team-mate Max Verstappen’s effort, but he was squeezed out of the first segment of qualifying in 16th – just 0.024s slower than Franco Colapinto for Alpine who held the final spot to make it into Q2.

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies had explained ahead of qualifying that the team had not been able to provide Tsunoda and his team-mate Max Verstappen with a “car they wanted”.

“We’ve been struggling since yesterday,” the new team boss explained to Sky Sports F1 after the final practice session. “It’s been very difficult to put the car in the right window, to give Max and Yuki the right feeling. We’ve now tried a number of things to turn the car around, but I have to say it’s probably the same sort of feeling today, and not finding the grip overall.
 
“So, uncomfortable, but you know, it’s in this sort of situation that you learn something. So we are trying to do quite a few tests to understand where the limitation is, where the track is. But so far, it’s fair to say that we haven’t given our drivers the car they wanted.”