Martin Brundle critical of 'menacing' Red Bull over Yuki Tsunoda order

Martin Brundle has criticised Red Bull for its "menacing" radio calls to Yuki Tsunoda during the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

With Tsunoda not in title contention, the Japanese racer was placed on the hard tyres to run long and back up Max Verstappen's rivals, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. 

Piastri was not subject to this after also starting on the hards, but Norris was after his medium tyre stop, with the two coming together on the main straight. 

Tsunoda weaved and jinked to the left to block Norris, who was forced off the track and overtook the Red Bull. 

Both were placed under investigation for the incident - Tsunoda for forcing another driver off the track and Norris for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

Only Tsunoda was penalised with a five-second time penalty as Norris claimed the title, as Tsunoda bowed out of F1 for at least 2026.

Reflecting, Sky Sports F1 commentator Brundle believes Tsunoda was guilty of acting like "a drunken sailor" after Red Bull's "menacing" radio calls of the gap to the McLaren. 

"I really don't mind a bit of strategic team play, everybody has two cars to use at their competitive best, but the 'you know what to do' radio calls were bordering on menacing, along with him being told the gap from Norris to Leclerc of 1.4 seconds," Brundle wrote in his Sky Sports F1 column.

"Yuki should have backed Lando up from the tight Turns 12 through to Turn Five on the next lap, that would have been relatively easy and very effective. 

"Instead, he chose to weave down the back straight like a drunken sailor while breaching the regulations, and eventually forcing Norris to pass on a filthy part of the track, which became, actually, off the track.

"Tsunoda rightly got a five-second penalty for that clear breach, but what of Norris' pass off-track and maintaining an advantage? He couldn't hand the place back because Leclerc had now passed Tsunoda too. Fortunately for Norris, the stewards made a rational decision.

"Apparently, there are guidelines that if a driver is forced off track to avoid an accident, then they can't be penalised for that. 

"Others might say that Norris should have lifted off or tried to pass on the other side, but there was little doubt where the Red Bull was heading next."