The internet found a strange thread and could not let it go. The post points to a pattern for Yuki Tsunoda in Mexico City that repeats with eerie detail, almost like a Yuki Tsunoda Mexico City curse. A first corner tangle in 2021. A right side hit from Daniel Ricciardo on Lap 51 in 2022. A brush with Oscar Piastri near Lap 49 in 2023. Early contact with Alex Albon in 2024 that ended the day at Turn 1. The comments had jokes, worry, and curiosity in the same breath. A fan said, “These are the kind of stats I am here for.” The story sounds silly at first. Then it starts to feel real.
What the Record shows Year by Year
Mexico City is a trap for any driver who reaches the first corner in the middle of a tight pack. In 2021, Tsunoda’s race ended there after contact at Turn 1, beginning the Yuki Tsunoda Mexico City curse. The pain was not the points lost. It was the sense that he never got to start a fight. In 2022, Ricciardo went for a move late. His McLaren clipped the right side of Tsunoda’s car on Lap 51 and kicked it into the air for a split second. The car limped away. The right rear told the whole story.
In 2023, the meeting was with Piastri. Tsunoda pushed with DRS and met him near Lap 49. The timing was classic Mexico, continuing the Yuki Tsunoda Mexico City curse. Fuel loads low. Tyres fading for some. Tyres alive for others. One small touch, and the day flipped. In 2024, the wheel to wheel chaos came back at the start. Albon and Tsunoda met at Turn 1. The clip ran everywhere within minutes. The pattern felt complete. Start trouble in 2021 and 2024. Late trouble in 2022 and 2023. Same corner family. Same side of the car. It became a running bit that cut close to truth.
Why Mexico City does this
The track sits about 2,240 meters above sea level. Thin air reduces drag and cooling. Teams bolt on more wing to chase grip. Even then, the cars fly down the long front straight and arrive at Turn 1 in massive packs. Braking zones stretch. Margins shrink. Drivers get squeezed. A small nudge on the right rear can change everything because load transfers hard under braking and the route through the chicane is narrow.
Why late laps add risk
Strategy adds a second danger zone. Stint lengths in Mexico often pull faster cars into slower cars between Lap 45 and Lap 55. That is when fuel is light and tyre life splits appear. A driver on fresh rubber reaches one on old rubber right as confidence peaks. Ricciardo in 2022 and the Piastri moment in 2023 fit that model. Add DRS to the main straight, and the catch happens with speed that is hard to judge. If the car ahead turns in a beat earlier than expected, the right rear becomes a magnet.
“It is not a curse. It is Mexico doing Mexico things.” – a fan
There is also the human layer. Tsunoda is calmer now. His radio is cleaner. His moves are more measured. Mexico still tests patience. The noise. The stadium. The slipstream games. A driver can do 99 things right and still arrive at the first corner in a bad place. Or reach Lap 49 with a rival on mismatched tyres and a closing rate that feels like a trick.
What would break it. A clean launch at the start. A pit plan that keeps him out of that Lap 45 to Lap 55 blender. Space to brake in a straight line on the first run to Turn 1. If he manages that, the internet will cheer like it is a podium. If he does not, this perceived Yuki Tsunoda Mexico City curse will continue, and the live feed will tense up the moment a McLaren or a Williams appears in the mirrors. The streak is odd. It is also easy to explain. That mix makes it unforgettable. The next Mexico City Sunday will start with one question on every screen. Can Yuki finally dodge the magnet.
I’m a sports and pop culture junkie who loves the buzz of a big match and the comfort of a great story on screen. When I’m not chasing highlights and hot takes, I’m planning the next trip, hunting for underrated films or debating the best clutch moments with anyone who will listen.
