WATCH: Yuki Tsunoda's heart-stopping move to avoid massive collision during SQ1 in Austrian Grand Prix

The sprint qualification for the Austrian Grand Prix was marked by Max Verstappen’s dominant performance, clinching pole position with ease. While the session largely unfolded without major incidents, one moment stood out for its sheer drama and display of exceptional driving skill.

Yuki Tsunoda, driving for VCARB, had a near-catastrophic moment at the Red Bull Ring circuit. At Turn 9, Tsunoda lost control of his car, resulting in a high-speed spin off the track. As his car veered perilously close to the barriers, it seemed almost certain that he would collide.

Here is the video:

"Car is all good but tyres ******"



Yuki has a huge spin exiting Turn 9 😵‍💫#F1Sprint #AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/ne9TGbIOIF

— Formula 1 (@F1) June 28, 2024

However, Tsunoda showcased his remarkable reflexes and car control, managing to avoid the barriers and bring the car back on track safely. This incredible save not only prevented potential damage to the car but also highlighted Tsunoda's quick thinking and driving prowess under pressure.

Also WATCH: Yuki Tsunoda beats Kevin Magnussen in an epic duel at Austrian GP

The incident occurred as VCARB sought to consolidate its position in the Constructors' Championship, aiming to close the gap to Aston Martin. The team had introduced significant upgrades to their car, the VCARB 01, including revised side pods, a new engine cover, a new rear wing, and an updated floor. These updates were expected to enhance the car’s performance over the triple-header.

“There are still some questions,” says Daniel Ricciardo

However, despite the upgrades, the team faced challenges in extracting the desired performance, as seen in the previous race in Barcelona where Daniel Ricciardo finished 15th and Tsunoda 19th. For the Austrian Grand Prix, the team planned to further explore the new parts, with Ricciardo and Tsunoda starting with different setups to better understand and optimize the updates.

Ricciardo explained that although the upgrades had not yet delivered the expected results, the team remained hopeful. "There are still some questions for sure, but are we convinced that the upgrade was a flop? No, we're not," Ricciardo stated.

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"Yuki and I are going to start with different set-ups. It's a combination of everything, and because we're still trying to figure it out. We'll start different [Friday] morning and hopefully learn a bit from practice and then kind of merge for the sprint qualification."