It was not a very pleasant session for Yuki Tsunoda and in the closing stages of the first free practice session the Japanese driver was held up by an Alfa Romeo Racing driver. Tsunoda was able to cancel his fast run and let himself go on the board radio.

To his team the 21-year old driver shouts: "This f*cking idiot". Tsunoda finished eighteenth in VT1. He only managed to keep both drivers of Haas F1 behind him. Teammate Pierre Gasly did a lot better with eighth place at Istanbul Park.