RB’s Yuki Tsunoda put on a show for his fans on Saturday, qualifying 10th for the Japanese Grand Prix and giving himself a chance to earn points for the first time at his home race on Sunday.
The Kanagawa Prefecture native squeaked into the final qualifying session (Q3), pipping his teammate by just five hundredths of a second and was the best driver from outside of the top five teams as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took pole.
A loud cheer from the 77,000 fans at the track could be heard over the roar of Tsunoda’s Honda engine after he secured his top 10 position.
“I’m very happy but at the same time it wasn’t an easy qualifying,” Tsunoda told reporters after the session. “I struggled a little bit with balance, particularly in slow speed corners.
“I think as a team we did a fantastic job to line up both cars around P10 so I think there’s a good chance that we can score points.”
The performance Saturday marks the second straight year Tsunoda has qualified in the top 10 at Mie Prefecture’s Suzuka Circuit.
Last year, he wasn’t able to convert his starting position into points and finished 12th.
But the only Japanese driver on the grid is carrying a good bit of momentum into the race this year after an impressive seventh place finish at the Australian Grand Prix two weeks ago.
Saturday also marked the third straight race in which Tsunoda has qualified in the top 10.
“It’s a very tight midfield and it’s a big step away from the top five group so always being around top 10 is always crucial to score points.
“(My) confidence level is good ... I started to understand more about cars, how to make the car fast.”
If Tsunoda is to earn points, his battle could come from the likes of teammate Daniel Ricciardo, who will start 11th, and Haas' Nico Hulkenberg, in 12th.
At the front, Verstappen will be the odds-on favorite to win his third straight Japanese Grand Prix after a blistering lap of 1:28.197 in Q3, less than a tenth of a second ahead of teammate Sergio Perez. McLaren’s Lando Norris rounded out the top three qualifiers.
Sunday’s race starts at 2 p.m.
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