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Bottas, Tsunoda, Mercedes, AlphaTauri, Styria

Tsunoda handed three-place grid drop for blocking Bottas

Bottas, Tsunoda, Mercedes, AlphaTauri, Styria — Photo: © LAT Images

Tsunoda handed three-place grid drop for blocking Bottas

AlphaTauri driver falls from eighth to 11th on the grid

AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda has been handed a three-place grid penalty following his impeding of Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas during qualifying for the Styrian Grand Prix.

Tsunoda produced a fine performance to reach the top-10 shoot-out but during Q3 the young Japanese driver blocked Bottas at one stage, prompting an angry response from the Finn over the team radio.

Following an investigation, the stewards noted: "Car 22 [Tsunoda] had just completed a fast lap and had communication from the team that he was now on an in lap.

"The team did not warn car 22 of the approach of car 77 [Bottas] on a fast lap.

"Car 77 approached car 22 at the entry to turn four. Car 22 was on the racing line and while he attempted to move off the racing line to the outside he did impede car 77 unnecessarily.

"It is the responsibility of every driver to be aware of faster cars when they are on a slow lap.

"The team should have assisted the driver in being aware of the approaching faster car but such lack of communication is not an excuse for the driver."

Tsunoda, who has also been handed a penalty point on his licence, will drop from eighth to 11th on the grid.

Alpine's Fernando Alonso will now start eighth, with Aston Martin's Lance Stroll moving up to ninth, while George Russell lines up 10th in his Williams.

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