RB boss reveals immediate Yuki Tsunoda talks after offensive radio message

RB’s Yuki Tsunoda at the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix.

RB CEO Peter Bayer has maintained Yuki Tsunoda’s calmness on the radio has improved ‘1000 percent’ in 2024, despite getting in trouble with the stewards on Saturday.

Tsunoda was hit with a large fine after qualifying on Saturday at the Austrian Grand Prix, after a radio message during the session caught the attention of the stewards.

Yuki Tsunoda used ‘offensive language’ to earn large fine

Tsunoda was found to have breached Article 12.2.1.k of the International Sporting Code for his radio message, earning him a fine of €40,000 – half of which is suspended on condition he doesn’t commit any similar infringements.

The stewards explained the matter as “During Q1 when Car 22 [Tsunoda] was queuing in the fast lane and another car blended into the fast lane ahead of him, the driver was heard to make a statement over team radio using offensive language.”

Tsunoda’s message was after Zhou Guanyu had merged in front of him at the end of Q1, with the Japanese driver radioing in to say: “These guys are f**king r**arded.”

An apologetic Tsunoda appeared before the stewards, explaining that he was not fully aware of the meaning of the words he was using, with English being his second language.

Horrified to have learned the true context of what he had said, he admitted his understanding of the words were different, but acknowledged this should not be considered as an excuse.

The stewards stated their appreciation for Tsunoda’s honesty, but “reinforce the fact the words used are offensive and wholly inappropriate”, deeming his message over a platform available to the public as amounting to misconduct under the wording of the International Sporting Code.

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Peter Bayer explains Yuki Tsunoda’s horror at learning meaning

Tsunoda, who has picked up a reputation for issuing hot-headed radio messages over his four years in Formula 1, has calmed down considerably in that area this season – coinciding with a step up in performance that has seen him assume the mantle of the team’s star performer.

But Tsunoda’s lapse in calm on Saturday was merely a blip, believes RB CEO Peter Bayer, who said the Japanese driver’s conduct on the radio has improved dramatically this season.

Asked whether he believes the punishment from the FIA will be the final underlining to Tsunoda of his need to rein in his radio antics, Bayer said he believes Tsunoda is already “right there”.

“I sometimes have a bit of capacity on the pit wall to listen to some other drivers,” he told PlanetF1.com in an exclusive interview.

“I don’t know why, I don’t know if it’s [radio coverage] very consistent and consistently being applied.

“We hear so many F words over a weekend, which seems to be okay now.”

Bayer explained he had gone straight to his driver when Tsunoda returned to the garage after qualifying, in order to make the point the use of such language isn’t acceptable.

“What Yuki said yesterday, I told him when I saw him when he came back, I said, ‘Yuki, you don’t say that’,” Bayer explained.

“And he looked at me ‘Why, what do you mean?’

“I said, ‘John [Noonan, Tsunoda’s physio], you’re a native English speaker, can you please explain to Yuki what he said?’

“He did, and Yuki was like ‘Oh no, you know, I’m so sorry’. He really did.”

Bayer reiterated the point that Tsunoda has learned to control his emotions far better behind the wheel of the car, now understanding that the mental capacity he’s using when losing his temper is costing him outright lap time.

“He has improved by 1,000 percent on that,” Bayer said.

“There is so little of that outrage that he [had] because he understood.

“He understood that every F is costing him a tenth. I mean, look at yesterday, we had all 20 cars within a tenth, right?

“Daniel [Ricciardo] was 15 thousandths of a second off Q3, it’s so tight, and those distractions are… that costs you a tenth.

“And the tenth decides between P9 and P13. Yuki knows, and he’s there.”

A contrite Tsunoda, who took to social media on Saturday evening, to apologise profusely for his radio message, was knocked out in Q2 and admitted after the session he thought he had a car capable of making it into the top 10.

“Today [Saturday], there was the pace to go through into Q3,” he said.

“I think I had the best car setup out of the last sessions. I wasn’t able to put it all together, so it’s my bad, to be honest and definitely a shame.”