“Overall happy”: Yuki Tsunoda comments on his Monza qualifying result

Yuki Tsunoda has weighed in on his qualifying result at the Italian Grand Prix. The 25-year-old detailed how he was overall pleased with his run at the Monza circuit.

The Red Bull Racing driver, who qualified in 10th place, spoke about how he lacked the required slipstream during his final run to achieve the result he would have desired. Tsunoda, however, reiterated how he was overall satisfied with his outing.

Sharing his thoughts with the media following the conclusion of the Saturday afternoon session in Monza, the Red Bull driver stated (via F1):

"In Q3, I wasn't able to have a slipstream. Traditionally, this kind of track you want to have a bit of slipstream."

"I had to lead the pack in Q3, which is the opposite of what I want, but in the end, overall, happy with the performance. Being in Q3 was the thing I wanted for a long time. Overall, happy with it."

Yuki Tsunoda’s qualifying at the Monza race marked his first Q3 appearance for the Milton Keynes outfit since the Belgian Grand Prix. The 25-year-old, who has endured a torrid run of form since his switch to the team, will, however, start the race in ninth place following a five-place grid penalty for Lewis Hamilton.

Laurent Mekies on Yuki Tsunoda's future amid Isack Hadjar’s form

Earlier, Laurent Mekies had touched on Yuki Tsunoda’s future with the Red Bull Racing team. The Milton Keynes outfit's team principal affirmed the Japanese driver would continue with the team despite rumors of Isack Hadjar replacing him.

Mekies, who spoke to the media during the Italian Grand Prix weekend, detailed that Red Bull had no plans of implementing a driver switch for the remainder of the season.

The 48-year-old also praised the progress Yuki Tsunoda has made with the team in recent races.

"No, we do not plan to change during the season. Yuki has been making a good step in the last three races. We want more, but he's doing a good job. First time in the points after seven races, best Qualifying with the team at Spa, he's on a positive trend.

"It's extremely nice to watch Isack's progress and to see him performing at the level he did in the last race. It was a fantastic demonstration of the progress he has been doing during the season, but we are relaxed about the driver topic; we have all the cards on the Red Bull side."

While Yuki Tsunoda appears to be gradually finding his form, his long-term future at the Red Bull team remains clouded in doubt. The former Racing Bulls driver's current contract runs out at the end of the season, and whether he would be offered an extension remains to be seen.