F1 star given FIA penalty for... failing to serve FIA penalty

Max Verstappen, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull, FIA, Imola, 2025 — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 star given FIA penalty for... failing to serve FIA penalty

Yuki Tsunoda was penalised twice

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Tuesday 11 November 2025 09:12

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Red Bull F1 star Yuki Tsunoda was handed a bizarre penalty by FIA race stewards at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Having had a poor qualifying which cemented Red Bull's first double Q1 exit since the 2006 Japanese Grand Prix, Tsunoda was hoping to move through the pack during Sunday's race.

However, following two separate 10-second penalties given out to the Japanese racer, he could only finish 17th - plum last out of the remaining runners - despite his team-mate Max Verstappen going from a pit lane start to a seventh successive grand prix podium.

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The second of Tsunoda's penalties was handed out through no fault of his own, however, with FIA race stewards confirming in a statement that it was down to a Red Bull mechanic immediately loosening the left rear wheel nut when Tsunoda came into the pits.

No work was allowed to be completed on Tsunoda's car for 10 seconds, after he had picked up the first penalty for causing a collision with Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll earlier in the race.

And that mistake from the Red Bull mechanic cost Tsunoda 10 more seconds, with it being deemed that he had not correctly served his first 10-second time penalty.

Tsunoda's grip on Red Bull seat loosens

While four-time world champion Verstappen was in a league of his own once again at Interlagos, the two drivers with whom Tsunoda is being compared with for a seat with Red Bull in 2026 also performed well.

In the sister Racing Bulls car, rookie Isack Hadjar managed to put in another impressive performance, finishing eighth having qualified fifth and moving level on points in the drivers' championship with ninth-placed Nico Hulkenberg.

Liam Lawson - who is deemed to have an outside shot at another chance with the main Red Bull team in 2026 - in the other Racing Bulls car managed to finish seventh, and he pulls away from Tsunoda once more in the drivers' championship.

Tsunoda is sat down in 17th in those standings, not a good look considering his team-mate is challenging for the world championship title.

Red Bull have confirmed that they will decide on their second driver for next season at the end of this year, but Tsunoda appears to have it all to do in the final three race weekends if he is to stand any chance of grabbing a new contract.

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F1 Red Bull Yuki Tsunoda Brazilian Grand Prix