F1 Driver Yuki Tsunoda's Tire Rolls Away, Memes Ensue
Today's Formula 1 sprint race in Azerbaijan may not have mattered much, but it did produce a memorable moment: Alpha Tauri driver Yuki Tsunoda's race took an unfortunate turn on the opening lap when he lost a tire. The tire then went on to roll past his slowing car, creating a screencap for the ages.
SPRINT LAP 1/17
⚠️ VIRTUAL SAFETY CAR ⚠️
Tsunoda hits the wall and loses his right rear tyre! 😩#AzerbaijanGP #F1Sprint pic.twitter.com/aZWMp3eHQX— Formula 1 (@F1) April 29, 2023
The tire was knocked loose by contact with the wall, leading to the unusual problem. Tsunoda's day ended with the tire issue, ending any hope of a top eight finish that would have secured a rare point for a struggling team. Fortunately, the tire was moving slowly and did not pose a major safety risk under the virtual safety car called immediately for clean-up. That means the only meaningful impact from the runaway tire was the opportunity it created for jokes:
Yuki Tsunoda is just trying to return Ferrari's long-lost fourth tire pic.twitter.com/DM4ilC9XpX
— Alanis King (@alanisnking) April 29, 2023
The best cinematography in recent F1 history: Yuki’s tire. pic.twitter.com/TcOchqgJin
— Logan M. Davis (@LoganMDavis) April 29, 2023
𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨... pic.twitter.com/SIh3T51jse
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) April 29, 2023
Since sprint races no longer impact the grid for Sunday's grand prix races, Tsunoda will retain his excellent eighth-place starting position in the full-length race tomorrow. Tsunoda's AlphaTauri team is behind on pace this season, but he scored the program's first points of the season with a tenth at Australia last time out and will be seeking more points in the full-length race tomorrow.
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