Yuki Tsunoda will carry a disadvantage in car specification into the Monaco Grand Prix weekend as a result of his qualifying crash at Imola, as he is missing Red Bull's latest floor upgrade.
Red Bull has introduced a series of developments over the past two events starting with a floor update on Max Verstappen’s car in Miami that Tsunoda did not have.
Tsunoda did get the new floor at Imola, on a weekend when Red Bull also made some other subtle aerodynamic tweaks around the sidepods and brake ducts - which Tsunoda suggested he did not have full use of as the car was still "a little bit different” to Verstappen’s.
Then Tsunoda crashed heavily at the Villeneuve chicane on his first flying lap in Q1 at Imola, which led to his car being rebuilt around the spare monocoque, and several components used for the rebuild were of an older specification.
After starting from the pits Tsunoda recovered to 10th, while Verstappen won, and there will be a spec discrepancy again in Monaco this weekend, with the new floor understood to be the main part missing.
When asked by The Race, the team said there are some aspects of the Imola upgrade which remain on Tsunoda’s car but there are other aspects it cannot offer presently.
Red Bull aims to rectify that situation as its continues its developments and produces more new parts, which suggests Tsunoda may need to get by on slightly older specifications until the next round of updates.
Tsunoda admitted it is his fault that “we need a bit more time to be at least the same car” and he will ease his way into the Monaco weekend after last week’s crash.
He finished eighth in the race last year, his first points at Monaco, but is in dire need of a result having managed just seven points in his five outings for Red Bull in 2025 so far.
“I think just the same as last year,” said Tsunoda when asked about the approach he will take to the weekend.
“[I will] see how it goes after Imola as well, [this is] the first time I’m going to do a short run after Imola, so I’m sure maybe I might take it easy slightly more than usual.
“Also, apparently the Red Bull car is quite bumpy [at Monaco] as well, so I’ll just build it up.
“Monaco specifically, you can’t just do the same approach as Imola or other tracks where you have [runoff]. I’m just going to build up very slowly.”
