Red Bull’s difficulties have worsened at the Canadian Grand Prix, as Yuki Tsunoda must serve a 10-place grid penalty following a red flag infringement in FP3. The Japanese racer overtook the stricken McLaren machine of Oscar Piastri, going against the FIA regulations.

Tsunoda paid a visit to the stewards ahead of qualifying on Saturday to explain his error. In the FIA report on the penalty, it was revealed that the 25-year-old “said that he saw Car 81 travelling slowly on the left side of the track with obvious damage. He said that he was worried that he might be struck by debris from Car 81 and decided to overtake.”

Unfortunately for Tsunoda, this explanation didn’t satisfy the stewards, and Tsunoda was hit with a 10-place grid penalty, as well as two penalty points. However, unlike team-mate Max Verstappen, the Kanagawa-born racer is a long way from the 12-point ban threshold.

“Having considered the matter extensively, the Stewards determined that while Car 81 had an obvious problem, it was not travelling at such a speed that it prevented Car 22 from following it at a safe distance,” the stewards explained. “The circumstances were such that there was no justifiable reason for the driver of Car 22 to have overtaken Car 81.”

This was nothing short of a disastrous development for Tsunoda, who is fighting to salvage his reputation at Red Bull. He has picked up just 10 points in nine Grand Prix appearances this year, and this is hampering his squad’s ability to fight Mercedes and Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship.

“As long as I don’t really perform myself, I know what’s going to happen and I know myself, it’s not the place I should be,” he told the media on Thursday. “But let’s see. I have confidence that I can come back strong. You guys like to talk about the second seat, about Red Bull, but it is what it is.

“I know there are things I’ve improved in the past years and past races, especially at the start of this season. There’s a lot going on. I would say partly this kind of track will be the reset; I think my progress in terms of understanding is getting there, but I just need a bit of time to do it actually on the track with driving.

“It’s always easier to understand by doing it actually on the track. But I’m sure it will come at some point, and the progress is there. So I’m not really rushing it too much yet.”