20 March 2023 , 22:25
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Formula 1 fans were full of praise for Yuki Tsunoda for the way he battled with Kevin Magnussen in the final stages of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
And they were even more impressed by the way he handled himself after getting out of his car. Footage taken from a car camera in Parc Ferme after the race showed the Japanese racer ambling slowly past the Haas with his hand on his hip, clearly very frustrated.
But Tsunoda, who has been known to lose his temper in the past, showed excellent sportsmanship when Magnussen caught his attention. The Dane put his thumb up to his rival and, not only did the AlphaTauri racer return the gesture, but he made a point of walking over to shake hands.
Tsunoda finished just one second behind Alex Albon in the first race of the season, going home without a point in 11th place. He was 10th heading into the latter stages of the Jeddah contest but had Magnussen breathing down his neck.
Desperate to avoid another disappointment, he defended as hard as he could and forced the much more experienced Haas driver to be very patient. But, eventually, Magnussen was able to get through and, again, Tsunoda went home empty-handed.
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Magnussen was full of praise for the Japanese racer, and said: "It was a good pass – Yuki did a great job to defend," he said. "For many laps he kept me behind and always put his car in all the right spots to destroy my aero in the crucial points, and always getting good exits in the last corner to defend into turn 1."
Tsunoda fought well against Magnussen in the faster Haas (Getty Images)Reacting to the clip of the two racers acknowledging each others' efforts after the race, fans were full of praise for Tsunoda. @D_Liechtenstein wrote: "Despite his frustration, Yuki still kept his respect and sportsmanship, something great to see."
@leafinsectman concurred, and said: "I know it's sad for us Yuki fans but moments like this will make him stronger. Also I love that KMag recognizes Yuki's good defensive work."
And @nadpptx added: "Still a true sportsman in all aspects, sucks that Yuki has been getting p11 since Bahrain but I'm sure he's gonna get his points soon!!!"
Tsunoda said after the race: "The team did a really great job, everything went perfectly. The pace on the medium tyre was very strong and it improved compared to qualifying. I'm happy with what the team and I achieved together, but at the same time, I'm disappointed we didn’t reach the points in the end."