Yuki Tsunoda has apologised after suggesting that AlphaTauri is not giving him the same equipment as his teammate.

Failing to make it into Q2 today, the Japanese youngster is one of only three drivers to have been out-qualified by their teammate at every race.

In the moments after Q1, as he made his way back to the pits, he shouted, "I can't f****** believe this car", over his radio.

However, speaking to the media shortly after, he actually questioned whether he and his teammate, Pierre Gasly, have the same equipment.

"I wasn't pushing too hard on the out lap, I just do like normal," he said. "The tyre temperature is spot on before the lap. I think the team, we set up, we set up the tyre, but I don't know. It's not the place I want to fight.

"The performance in this car, it's easy to go to Q2," he added. "I really struggled to even go to Q2. It's always different feedback compared to my team-mate, even when we try the opposite.

"I have a little bit question mark (if it) is the same car," he continued, "of course it's the same car, but just the character of the car is just too different.

"Maybe, of course, it's a different driving style. I don't know, I don't understand what happened, why I'm struggling this much."

As fans and members of the media took to social media to question the driver's wisdom in making such a remark after just four races, Tsunoda took to social media himself to issue an apology to his team.

"I wanted to apologise for my comments today," he wrote. "I didn't mean to criticise the team who have done a great job all weekend. I was just frustrated with my performance. Full send tomorrow."

After taking the world by storm in Bahrain, the youngster has failed to live up to the early promise, crashing during qualifying at Imola and subsequently spinning in the race, while last weekend saw the Japanese finish a distant 15th.

During this morning's practice session, Tsunoda was told by his engineer to "calm down" after the youngster queried advice he had been given as to how to improve his lap.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by flyinglap, 09/05/2021 18:54

"Notwithstanding the huge support from Honda and his own talent Tsunoda might be risking doing 'an Albon' and exiting the scene not before long. Albon was (is) as well being hugely supported by Red Bull's parent company and owner(s), and being talented in his own right (and additionally always behaving like a gentleman, which Tsunoda isn't) and he was still put on the bench at the end of last season."

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2. Posted by RobMartin, 09/05/2021 8:50

"Rookie suprised he is slower than his team-mate, who has won a race, driven for a top-tier team and has more seasons under his belt that Tsunoda has races? Definitely needs to calm down...."

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Tsunoda apologises for AlphaTauri comments

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