"It was a simple joke but a bad joke"- Ferrari boss apologizes for referring to Yuki Tsunoda as 'tsunami' in an interview

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has apologized to Yuki Tsunoda over a comment he made earlier at Zandvoort. During an interview after the Dutch Grand Prix, Binotto referred to Tsunoda as a "tsunami," mocking his last name. Not only was this offensive to him and other people with the same last name, but the word has a tragic association with Yuki Tsunoda's nation. Tsunoda is a Japanese driver, and the country was hit with one of the worst tsunamis back in 2011, costing thousands of people their lives. Binotto realized his mistake and apologized for it recently.

"It was a mistake by using that word. There was no intention to do anything wrong."

The reason that led to this had to do with the events at Zandvoort. After a pit stop, Tsunoda stopped his car at the side of the track, believing his tires were not fitted properly. However, soon after the yellow flag was waved, he was told that everything was okay with the tires and started driving again, only to enter the pits the following lap.

He spent a lot of time there with engineers examining his car. After being released, he stopped on the track again, finally retiring from the race and triggering a virtual safety car. This messed up the races of many drivers, including Carlos Sainz of Ferrari.

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Yuki Tsunoda was a victim of hate and racial comments online

After all of that happened, there were many controversial theories that emerged among people. Some suggested that Tsunoda and AlphaTauri colluded with Red Bull so that Max Verstappen could win his home Grand Prix. Since AlphaTauri is Red Bull's sister team, this theory had a strong base in the minds some, prompting the online abuse of Tsunoda. The team released a statement denying everything and supported the driver.

However, Mattia Binotto didn't have to do anything with the theory or his statement. He stated that he meant it as a joke and recalled how much he respects Yuki Tsunoda and appreciates his skills. He also said that he is close to the victims of the tragedy that shook the country of Japan.

“I think Tsunoda is a fantastic driver. He is a great man and we have a good relationship between the two [of us]. It was a simple joke but a bad joke.”