Yuki Tsunoda was unable to participate in the second race of the 2022 Formula 1 season due to a problem related to the Honda power unit that has caused so many headaches for the Faenza team.
The Japanese driver set out to complete the installation lap to reach the grid at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, however his AlphaTauri stalled on the street track half an hour before the lights went out.
Tsunoda radioed that it was a problem with the Japanese engine, so he was forced to pull away and get out of the AT03 at one of the Jeddah street loopholes before even seeing how the night race got underway.
“I’ve lost the engine, I’ve lost the engine,” exclaimed the young Japanese driver when he lost power to his engine during the installation lap. Minutes after getting out of his AlphaTauri, Tsunoda was waving to the crowd as he ran to his garage with a smile on his face despite how much trouble it was for him.
This is not the first time that a mechanical failure ruins the hopes of the Italian team, because in the first race of the year, the Bahrain Grand Prix, Pierre Gasly had to leave due to a fire in the Honda engine a few laps from the end .
To this we must add the withdrawals of the other two single-seaters powered by the Japanese manufacturer in the same test, although Red Bull defends that the causes were due to a fuel-related problem.
Thus, AlphaTauri will only have one car for the test in Jeddah, as will Haas, who opted not to participate with Mick Schumacher as a precaution due to the big accident he suffered in qualifying.
