Tsunoda was fined 40,000 euros

In the first session, Yuki spoke rudely to his rivals, who were standing in the pit lane and were in no hurry to get out on track. Tsunoda said on the radio: “These guys are just stupid.” The race director saw this as a potential violation of paragraph 12.2.1.k of the International Sporting Code – with his words Tsunoda could insult people with real illnesses.

After considering the situation, the stewards fined Tsunoda 40,000 euros, half of the fine he now has to pay, half of which will be postponed until the end of the season and will be paid in case of repeated violation.

“After receiving a request from the race director and calling and hearing from the driver and team representative, the stewards of the Austrian Grand Prix decided as follows:

During the first part of qualifying, when car #22 was lining up at the pit exit and another car was wedged in front of it, the driver made a statement on team radio, using offensive language.

During the hearing, the driver apologized and explained that since English is not his native language, he did not know the exact meaning of the words used until the end of the session. He stated that he was shocked when he realized its significance. He argued that his interpretation of the words was different, but accepted that this could not be considered an excuse.

The stewards appreciate the driver’s honesty, but emphasize that the words he used were offensive and completely inappropriate. The use of such words via a public platform amounts to improper conduct as defined in Article 20 of the International Sports Code.

“Taking into account all the circumstances, the stewards decided that a severe penalty was necessary, but they also took into account the driver’s sincere remorse and his offer to publicly apologize. For these reasons, they decided to defer part of the penalty until the end of the race.” the year,” the stewards said in their decision.