(Motorsports news) Tsunoda attempted to pass the McLaren rookie for seventh place on the 49 of 71 with DRS into Turn 1 after multiple side-by-side fights. However, when he moved around the outside, his right-rear tire collided with Piastri’s front left, causing him to spin. He rejoined the course in 16th place and finished in 12th place. Despite defending his attempted overtake on Piastri, Tsunoda has now revealed that his frustration was so “hard to digest” that he locked himself away in his Mexico City hotel room.
“I was really frustrated after the race because I missed the opportunity to score points for the team,” he told the reporters ahead of the Brazilian GP this weekend. “I was having a good race up until that point.” So I was quite frustrated, and it was difficult for me to swallow that frustration that day. “Normally, you can enjoy Mexico. I ended up canceling everything and staying in my room. It was a major moment and an opportunity P5 was unquestionably possible.”
Tsunoda went on to say that he “tried to be patient as much as possible” when passing the McLaren and that being beside Piastri was “easy” given the overspeed he had with DRS at the end of the main straight. However, he said that he could have been more cautious and utilized more “situation management” considering that it was a point-scoring race, with AlphaTauri attempting to bank more prize money by passing Williams for seventh place in the constructors’ championship.
When asked to describe his coping strategy, Tsunoda said, “First and foremost, I feel guilty. I’m not sure if it’s a conscious thing or not, but I just feel bad if I play around and have a distraction after a bad race. Perhaps it’s good, but it’ll only be for me.” It will only be transitory. I considered everything, even how I may be better in the future. “It was obviously difficult, but it gives me time to reconsider.” If I have a horrible race, this is what I usually do. I only throw a party if I win the race.”
Tsunoda previously stated that he wanted to improve his “emotional control” by studying with experienced teammate Daniel Ricciardo. He believed this was something he had “never achieved before, especially the last grand prix.”
