Drama in qualifying: Tsunoda overturns in Imola!

Drama in qualifying: Tsunoda overturns in Imola!

Imola, Italien - On May 17, 2025, the Grand Prix of the Emilia-Romagna in Imola had a dramatic incident when Yuki Tsunoda from Red Bull Racing suffered a serious accident. Just a few seconds after the start of the session, the driver moved into a curve at about 300 km/h, but lost control of his vehicle. The rear of the car broke out, which led to a rollover where Tsunodas rb21 crashed into the route limitation. This triggered the red flags and qualifying had to be interrupted for about 15 minutes before it could be resumed. Max Verstappen, Tsunoda's teammate, was concerned and asked in his box about the condition of the driver when he drove past the damaged car.

After the accident, Tsunoda, who initially stayed in his car, was able to leave the vehicle himself without any recognizable injuries. However, a first diagnosis of the degree of injury is still pending, while the car suffered significant damage from the impact. Tsunoda had previously tried to set a first round in qualifying when the incident in curve 6 happened. His car turned into the gravel at high speed and overturned the tire barriers in the impact before it ended up on the wheels and came to a standstill in the gravel. These events illustrate the dangers that still exist in motorsport despite numerous progress in security technology.

progress in the security of motorsport

Security in motorsport has improved significantly in recent decades. Historically, accidents in motorsport were often considered inevitable, and drivers died regularly in the 1960s. Security technologies, including the fall helmet (1952) and the roll bar (1959), were implemented to minimize the risks. Peter Wright, the former head of the FIA ​​Security Commission, described the ignorance of security issues at the time as problematic.

The introduction of modern materials such as carbon fiber in 1981, which ensure easier and safer cars, changed the drivers' injury pictures. Aluminum chassis led to severe leg injuries, while carbon fiber reduced the risk of the legs but caused neck injuries. After fatal accidents, especially in 1994 in Imola, the security measures were further reinforced.

Accident researchers have found that knowledge from street accidents can also be transferred to racing. Since 1996, an accident data writer has been mandatory in Formula 1, which provides detailed data on accidents. Safety devices such as neck supports and the Hans system are now standard to increase the safety of the drivers.

The introduction of Safer Barriers and TecPro barriers has significantly improved the safety on race tracks, and the Halo protection, which was introduced in 2018, also shows the pursuit of higher security, but is not undisputed. The constant further development of the security measures still has an impact on the construction of race tracks and vehicles, which is a necessary step to ensure the safety of the driver.