F1 driver brings DELAYED START to Italian Grand Prix

Italian Grand Prix

Tsunoda incident causes DELAYED START to the Italian Grand Prix

AlphaTauri driver wasn't able to start the race

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 3 September 2023 15:16 Updated: 20:10

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Yuki Tsunoda was out of the Italian Grand Prix, before the race even started after an engine issue left him with no power during the formation lap.

The AlphaTauri driver pulled to the side of the track after experiencing an issue in Sunday's race, causing an aborted start to the race as marshals struggled to get his car out of the way.

It was a nightmare start for AlphaTauri at their home race, as all of their hopes of points at Monza rested in the hands of Liam Lawson in just his second Formula 1 race.

The race restarted at 2.20pm UK time - 20 minutes after the aborted start.

Unfortunate for Tsunoda

Monza has been the sight of the team's only two race wins, with Pierre Gasly claiming the most recent of those in 2020

His retirement was the second DNS (did not start) that the Japanese driver has suffered at Monza, at a track where his team have claimed both of their two race wins, most recently in 2020 with Pierre Gasly.

Tsunoda pulled over just before the Parabolica corner during the formation lap, and a truck was needed to pull his car off the side of the track.

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This meant that rest of the cars ended up doing two extra formation laps, before the race was able to get under way.

AlphaTauri had looked racier than they have done at many races in 2023, with both Lawson and Tsunoda not far from Q3 in Saturday's qualifying.

They lined up in 11th and 12th respectively, and the team may have been hoping for a double points finish, in a season where they have only managed three points and sit bottom of the constructors' championship.

Those dreams were, unfortunately, quashed before the race even began.