Yuki Tsunoda taken to F1 medical centre after car flips upside-down in huge crash at Imola GP qualifying

The 25-year-old Japanese driver lost control of his car at the start of qualifying

Yuki Tsunoda suffered a massive crash in qualifying (F1 TV )

Yuki Tsunoda has been taken to the Imola circuit’s medical centre after suffering a massive crash at the start of qualifying at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

The Japanese driver, at the start of his first flying lap in Q1, lost control of his car heading into the turn 5-6 chicane.

Tsunoda’s Red Bull car spun violently into the gravel before flipping into the catch fencing and barrier.

The 25-year-old walked away from the scene of the crash, but has been taken to the medical centre for checks.

In the same session, Franco Colapinto also suffered a big crash on his Alpine debut, slamming his car into the wall at Tamburello. The 21-year-old said he was “OK” straight away on team radio.

An FIA statement read: “Yuki Tsunoda has been taken to the Medical Centre.

“Repairs are currently been made to the light panel and tyre conveyor belt at the scene of the accident.”

Franco Colapinto also suffered a big crash in Imola (F1 TV)

Tsunoda’s crash resulted in a red flag, with 12 minutes left in Q1, while Colapinto’s came with a matter of seconds left in Q1, effectively ending the session.

“Oh my god, I just saw the video,” said Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson, when he saw Tsunoda’s crash.

Tsunoda’s teammate Max Verstappen qualified second for Sunday’s race, with championship leader Oscar Piastri taking pole position.

Imola is a track steeped in history but also tragedy, with Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna dying after crashes during the race weekend in 1994. It returned to the F1 calendar in 2020 after a 14-year hiatus.