‘I’m the one who always gets penalties’ - Tsunoda's fury at F1 stewards

The AlphaTauri driver was handed a five-second time penalty, as well as two penalty points on his licence, for clashing with Mercedes’ George Russell in Sunday’s chaotic race at Zandvoort. 

Tsunoda and Russell tangled when the latter made a move around the outside of Turn 1. 

The Japanese racer disagreed with the stewards’ verdict and said he is treated more harshly than his rivals. 

“I mean, that’s racing,” Tsunoda said. “I didn’t feel like it was aggressive. I don’t think we touched in the end. 

“But I’m the one who always gets penalties.”

Explaining their decision, the stewards noted: “Russell was ahead of Tsunoda at the braking point, but Tsunoda appeared to brake a little later. 

“Tsunoda was on the dirty inside line and having braked later he then understeered into Russell. The stewards determined that Tsunoda was predominantly at fault for the collision.”

It was the second penalty Tsunoda was given during the Zandvoort weekend, having also picked up a three-place grid drop for blocking Lewis Hamilton in qualifying. 

Tsunoda was hit with a penalty for a similar offence in qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix, while he also criticised the stewards over a penalty at the Spanish Grand Prix. 

Tsunoda labelled his five-second time penalty for forcing Zhou Guanyu off the circuit as “ridiculous” and “really unfair”.