Yuki Tsunoda will serve a 10-place grid penalty in Canada this weeked, it comes after stewards ruled that he overtook Oscar Piastri under red flag conditions during final practice in Montreal.
The incident happened just before 1pm local time on Saturday. Piastri had clipped the barrier on the exit of Turn 14, damaging the rear-right of his McLaren and picking up a puncture. He kept the car going at reduced speed, trying to get back to the pits, while the red flag was thrown.
Tsunoda, who was approaching Turn 6 at the time, initially backed off. But as he reached Turn 12, he came up behind the slow-moving McLaren and chose to pass it. He later explained that he was concerned about potential debris and felt it was safer to get by rather than stay directly behind the damaged car.
The stewards didn’t share that view.
What the Data Showed
According to telemetry, Piastri was still travelling at around 86kph when Tsunoda overtook him — at more than double that speed, clocking in at 171kph. While the McLaren was clearly compromised, it wasn’t stopped or undriveable. And under FIA red flag regulations, overtaking is strictly prohibited unless a car is incapable of continuing at a reasonable pace or specific permission is given.
Tsunoda told the stewards he was worried about being struck by parts coming loose from Piastri’s car and felt the safest call was to move ahead. He also pointed out the obvious visual damage down the left-hand side of the McLaren.
The stewards weren’t convinced. In their verdict, they stated there was “no justifiable reason for the driver of Car 22 to have overtaken Car 81,” and added 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.”
A Costly Grid Drop, and a Minor Mark on the Licence
In addition to the 10-place grid penalty, Tsunoda was given two penalty points on his FIA super licence — bringing his current tally to two over the past 12 months. It’s not a major concern yet, but it does add to his record in a season where clean execution is under more scrutiny than ever.
These types of infractions — particularly those tied to flag protocol — usually come with stricter penalties, and the FIA has made clear it expects full compliance when track conditions are neutralised. That said, the stewards framed this more as a misjudgement in an unusual scenario than anything reckless or dangerous.
What It Means for Sunday — and Beyond
This setback arrives at a delicate moment in Tsunoda’s campaign. He’s been steadily trying to build momentum in qualifying and race trim, pushing for consistency across weekends — all while the driver market chatter intensifies around 2026 with his place at Red Bull threatened. A penalty like this doesn’t define a season, but it does reset the tone heading into a race where every position gained on Sunday will matter.
From the FIA’s side, this was about sticking to protocol. Red flag discipline has been under the microscope all season, and with clear data available, there wasn’t much wiggle room for leniency.
Tsunoda now faces a recovery drive in Montreal. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that the raw pace may help him move up. But from this point on, the margin for error gets thinner.