Tsunoda's season takes another disappointing turn in Mexico | Sporting News Canada

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  Published in Sports and Competition on Wed, Oct 10th, 2025 by Sporting News

Tsunoda’s Mexican Grand Prix: A Season‑Long Struggle Continues

The 2023 Mexican Grand Prix, held at the historic Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, saw a repeat of a disappointing pattern for AlphaTauri’s Japanese driver, Carlos Tsunoda. In a race that delivered the expected drama for the championship, Tsunoda finished far from the points, underscoring a season that has been marked by inconsistency and a series of setbacks.

The Race in Context

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were the main contenders for the race title. Verstappen, starting from pole, executed a flawless opening lap and maintained a lead that only saw him slowed by a brief tire issue mid‑race. Hamilton, on the other hand, endured a slow start but fought back with a late‑race surge to finish second, keeping the championship battle tight.

On the back of the race, the podium finished with Sergio Perez, who made a strong comeback from a spin that had dropped him to the back at the start, taking his first win of the season, and Esteban Ocon, who secured a hard‑fought third place after a late‑race safety car. The points for the top ten drivers were distributed as expected, but Tsunoda’s name was absent from the list.

Tsunoda’s Performance

Tsunoda qualified 18th, a position that placed him in the rear of the grid. In the opening laps, he found himself trapped behind a slower car, and a collision with the wall at the first corner pushed him into a spin. The incident forced him to pit for a new front wing, costing him precious time and leaving him well behind the main pack.

Once the race resumed, Tsunoda managed to recover a few positions, eventually settling for a 15th place finish—fourth from the back of the field. He was 35 seconds behind the last points‑scoring driver, a gap that reflected the car’s lack of pace relative to the rest of the field.

The driver himself admitted that the race was “disappointing” and that his season had been “full of missed opportunities.” Tsunoda also highlighted that his “focus is still on improving,” pointing to the need for better consistency and racecraft.

AlphaTauri’s Perspective

The AlphaTauri team director, Marco Sofà, offered a more balanced view. He acknowledged that the car had struggled on the Mexican circuit, citing its high‑altitude environment as a factor that impacted the hybrid power unit’s performance. Sofà noted, however, that “Tsunoda’s work in the paddock and during the sessions was solid, but the car’s lack of grip in the high‑downforce corners made it difficult to keep up.”

AlphaTauri’s senior mechanic, Matteo Rossi, was quoted saying that the team had been working on optimizing the aerodynamic balance, which had shown promising results in practice sessions. Rossi also emphasized that the driver’s data inputs were critical to shaping the car’s setup, implying that Tsunoda’s contribution was valuable, even if the results were not yet reflected on the track.

Season Summary

Throughout the 2023 season, Tsunoda has finished outside the points in the majority of the races. He has scored a single point in Hungary, and that was his best finish so far. His current standing in the Drivers’ Championship is 20th, with only two points to his name. Meanwhile, AlphaTauri’s points tally sits at 18, placing the team in the middle of the Constructors’ Championship.

The Mexican Grand Prix was Tsunoda’s 12th race in 2023, and his performance there marked the fourth time in as many races that he finished the race outside the points. In the previous races at Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Australia, Tsunoda was unable to match the pace of the front‑running cars, and he finished 13th, 14th, and 12th respectively.

Looking Forward

With the race season moving into the heart of Europe, Tsunoda will need to capitalize on the upcoming tracks that favor high‑downforce cars. The team’s recent upgrades—particularly to the front wing and suspension—promise an improved grip profile, which could translate into better qualifying positions and race finishes.

Tsunoda’s management team has stated that they are focusing on race strategy, especially in terms of pit stop timing and tire selection. They are also working on “mental resilience,” aiming to reduce mistakes in the first 10 laps of races, where most of Tsunoda’s penalties and errors have occurred.

The Mexican Grand Prix was a clear indicator that the road to a successful season is still long for Tsunoda and AlphaTauri. The driver’s candid admission of the season’s frustrations, combined with the team’s acknowledgment of car limitations, sets the stage for a more determined effort in the races ahead.

Final Thoughts

While Tsunoda’s performance in Mexico did not add to his points tally, it reinforced the challenges that the driver and his team are facing. With the championship still alive and the European races approaching, Tsunoda will need to overcome both mechanical and mental hurdles to avoid the “disappointing” pattern that has defined his season. If he can turn the car’s pace into a competitive package, the coming races could see him finally break into the points, and the team could begin to climb the Constructors’ ladder.