Tsunoda Frustrated After Missed Pit Call Costs Big Points at Spa

Yuki Tsunoda explains tyre strategy mishap and straight-line speed struggles in tricky Belgian GP

It’s not often that Yuki Tsunoda minces his words—and after a frustrating Belgian Grand Prix, the AlphaTauri driver didn’t hold back in explaining how a late call for a tyre change cost him dearly at Spa-Francorchamps.

The 7km rollercoaster of a circuit in the Ardennes is known for its unpredictability. When it rains, it pours—and when it dries, it does so in patches, making strategic calls a high-stakes game of timing and trust. Tsunoda found himself on the wrong end of that gamble, and the Japanese driver was visibly annoyed when speaking to media after the race.

“They Called Me In Too Late”

The drama began right at the start. A damp track greeted the drivers, and like many, Tsunoda was navigating the fine line between staying out on intermediates or switching to slicks as a dry line slowly emerged.

But as he explained, the call from the AlphaTauri pit wall came a moment too late.

“They were late,” he said. “I was called in after just passing the pit lane.”

On a circuit as long as Spa, which stretches over seven kilometres and includes flat-out blasts like Kemmel Straight and the fearsome sweep through Blanchimont, even a single lap delay can result in huge time losses. For Tsunoda, the consequence was immediate and costly.

“I lost that chance,” he continued. “I lost four or five places and got stuck behind Pierre [Gasly]. I did my best but I couldn’t pass.”

Trapped Behind Traffic, Without the Tools to Fight

Once back out on track, Tsunoda’s frustration only deepened. The AlphaTauri didn’t give him the performance he needed to claw his way back through the field.

“I was lacking speed on the straight. I tried to overtake throughout the entire lap, but it didn’t work,” he said, adding that the tyres began degrading faster than expected.

In many ways, it was a textbook example of how races can spiral out of control not because of a single catastrophic error, but due to a series of small misjudgements. The late pit call, the timing of the tyre switch, the track evolution—it all added up.

And on a track like Spa, where passing is still a challenge despite the long straights and DRS zones, being caught in the wrong train of traffic can spell the end of any real progress.

“What am I supposed to say?” Tsunoda shrugged. “We’ll have to review it anyway.”

Lack of Straight-Line Speed Adds to the Woes

Yuki Tsunoda gives one-word response when asked if he had the pace to extend his first stint in America

Even if the timing of the pit stop had been perfect, Tsunoda suggested his AlphaTauri simply didn’t have the grunt to make progress through the field. This isn’t a new complaint from the team in 2025, as the car has frequently struggled in low-drag configurations when compared to their rivals.

“I was lacking speed on the straight,” he repeated, a theme that’s becoming all too familiar this season.

Without the ability to capitalise on DRS or defend properly on long straights like Kemmel, drivers can quickly become sitting ducks—or worse, stuck behind slower cars with no clear way past.

The reality of modern Formula 1 is that even the smallest shortfall in straight-line speed can turn overtaking into an impossible task, especially when the midfield battle is as tight as it has been this year.

A Measured Verdict on the Start Delay

With so much emotion evident in his voice over the team’s strategy call, Tsunoda’s take on the delayed start to the race was, interestingly, quite measured.

“It was the right decision,” he said simply, when asked if the race should have begun earlier or under different conditions.

Spa has often served up chaos in wet weather—from dramatic crashes to formation laps that turn into processions. So perhaps the start delay, meant to allow the track to dry just enough for safer racing, did more good than harm.

A Case of What Might Have Been

In the end, Tsunoda’s Belgian Grand Prix became yet another “what if?” in a career that’s often flirted with brilliance but has also been punctuated by moments of misfortune and miscommunication.

The 2025 season has seen flashes of strong pace from the Japanese racer, and there’s no doubt his raw speed and aggressive racecraft are worthy of a car more capable of competing at the sharp end of the grid. But races like Spa show just how crucial every single detail is—especially for teams operating outside the front-running elite.

With the midfield being more competitive than ever this year, the margin between a points finish and the back of the pack can be razor thin. And when you’re battling in that tight a space, something as simple as a pit call a few seconds late can derail an entire weekend.

Looking Ahead

Tsunoda will hope for more fortune in the upcoming rounds. AlphaTauri still has potential, particularly on tighter circuits where straight-line speed is less of a factor. But the team will need to sharpen up its decision-making if it wants to turn potential into points.

As for Tsunoda, his fiery passion remains both his biggest strength and occasional Achilles heel. But in a sport that thrives on character and emotion, he continues to be one of the most compelling drivers on the grid.

Let’s just hope next time the call from the pit wall comes a fraction earlier. Because in F1, as Yuki Tsunoda was reminded once again at Spa, fractions make all the difference.