The RB Formula 1 team intends to hold discussions with the FIA over the “unsportsmanlike” tactics that helped Haas land a point in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Yuki Tsunoda had started inside the top 10 but dropped behind the Haas drivers when RB took advantage of a Safety Car on Lap 7 to pit for a new set of Hard tyres.
Kevin Magnussen passed Tsunoda outside of track limits on the restart before also making contact with Alex Albon to receive two separate 10-second time penalties.
With his prospects of a point curtailed, Magnussen circulated at a reduced pace, enabling his team-mate ahead to build a sizeable gap to pit and retain track position.
Nico Hulkenberg would emerge in 11t once he pitted, which became 10th once Sauber pitted Guanyu Zhou to deliver Haas’ first point since Singapore last September.
Although Tsunoda concedes that it was his error to allow Magnussen through on older rubber, he contends that it was “unfair” how the episode hampered his race.
“It was pretty frustrating, probably my mistake was I let Kevin by,” Tsunoda admitted. “But at the same time, he overtook me with all four wheels outside [off the track].
“Okay, he got a 20-second penalty but he was just cruising around. That’s a bit unfair but at the same time, the truth is I also let him go, so that was my mistake.”
Tsunoda reiterated it had been a “frustrating” experience but conceded that F1 is a “team sport”, citing that Magnussen did a “good job” for Haas in the circumstances.
However, RB boss Laurent Mekies was less than impressed with Haas’ antics, arguing that Magnussen’s misdemeanours became void at the expense of other drivers.
“Yuki was fighting for what could have been a P10 finish,” Mekies contended.
“He was then passed by Magnussen, who cut the track to do so and then slowed down the whole pack to let his team-mate open a gap to pit in front of all of us.
“It made the penalty imposed on Magnussen meaningless, as it destroyed Yuki’s race.”
New RB Sporting Director Alan Permane concurred with Mekies’ comments and suggested that the Faenza-based squad was planning to hold talks with the FIA.
“Magnussen drove off the track to deliberately put himself in front of Yuki and then slowed him down by up to two seconds a lap, which allowed Hulkenberg, who hadn’t stopped yet, to create a gap and of course pit in front of all the cars behind,” Permane said.
“That, to me, doesn’t seem correct and is the very definition of unsportsmanlike behaviour. I’m sure we and other teams will talk to the FIA about it for future races.”
Meanwhile, Tsunoda also took issue with Magnussen’s robust defence on the exit of Turn 2 which saw Esteban Ocon pounce to displace the Japanese driver further.
“To score points, you try to do whatever he can do to stay in the position,” he outlined.
“It was pretty dangerous and we almost crashed at Turn 2. I have to understand, I wouldn’t say [it was] fair, but I have to understand it.”
Tsunoda had excelled in qualifying to land RB’s first Q3 appearance, but he rued that not translating into the race as he and team-mate Daniel Ricciardo went backwards.
“We really struggled with the pace from the beginning, I didn’t have much grip,” he bemoaned. “I struggled to even stay in the track.”
I don’t think opponents have any case against Magnussen’s go-slow tactics, it’s up to them to find a way round him. However, they definitely have a point where his battering ram method was concerned. The way he purposely turned into Albon and crunched him into the wall, the off the track pass on Tsunoda, and the later forcing of Tsunoda off the track, were all flagrant contraventions of the rules, and frankly he deserved a black flag for the assault on Albon alone. Hamilton was also guilty of some disgraceful driving, he clumped Piastri off the track at turn one as the latter made an attempt to pass, and on subsequent laps he was moving about in the braking zone very dangerously and got away with it, yet Norris received a black and white flag for his first offence when defending against Hamilton in the closing stages.
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