Yuki Tsunoda criticized Lance Stroll for his “unnecessary” Lap 1 maneuver at the F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Tsunoda and Stroll collided at the beginning of the race in Baku.
Stroll made a late move on Tsunoda, resulting in minor contact.
The collision caused damage to Tsunoda’s RB, forcing him to retire early after falling down the field.
Stroll also suffered a puncture as a result.
Reflecting on the incident, Tsunoda questioned Stroll’s move, saying, “I’m not sure what he had to gain.”
“Very frustrated to have this happen two races in a row,” Tsunoda said post-race. “A very short race, missing out on the chance to score points, which would have been difficult, but anything can happen on street circuits.
“Starting P12 is not ideal and comes with risks of getting damage. We need to improve and qualify in the top 10 for a better start. What happened on track felt like an unnecessary move from him [Stroll].
“Making an aggressive move with nothing to lose. I wasn’t going to make it easy for him. It’s disappointing, not the way I wanted to finish the race, but we’ll bounce back in Singapore.”
Stroll regretted the Lap 1 puncture and later retired due to a brake pedal problem.
Despite the issues, the Aston Martin showed good pace as Fernando Alonso finished sixth in Azerbaijan.
“My race was pretty much over on the first lap when [Yuki] Tsunoda and I collided,” Stroll explained. “I went for the inside – not sure if he saw me – but he closed the door and I had to pit with a puncture. We’re all racing hard on the first lap and these things happen, but it put us on the back foot for the rest of the race.
“With nine laps to go, I started feeling a problem with the brake pedal which was getting worse. This track doesn’t allow for risks, and we were out of the points, so it made sense to retire the car. It’s been a tough weekend, but I’m excited for Singapore.”
