Yuki Tsunoda had a tough race at the Qatar Grand Prix, finishing 13th after trying a risky strategy with soft tyres late in the race. However, his day took a funny turn thanks to a mix-up over a radio message.

During the race, Tsunoda’s team warned him about debris on the track caused by a loose mirror from Alex Albon’s car. But the Japanese driver misunderstood and thought his engineer was saying there was a beaver on the track. This surprising comment added some humor to an otherwise messy race.

The loose mirror was later hit by Valtteri Bottas, breaking into pieces and spreading debris across the pit straight. This caused punctures for Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton, leading to a Safety Car. For Tsunoda, though, the idea of a beaver in the middle of the Qatar desert was the biggest surprise.

It wasn’t until after the race, during media interviews, that Tsunoda learned the truth—that the "beaver" was actually a broken wing mirror. Reflecting on the confusion, he laughed off the incident, which has since become a lighthearted talking point in the paddock.

“Was it mirror? I heard beaver," he, quoted by Motorsport.com, revealed.

“My engineers said: 'There's a beaver.' But why is there a beaver in the Middle East? Like how is it possible a beaver is in the Middle East?

“But okay, maybe there's a surprise with global warming - kicking a lot of interesting things in the Earth.”

The race result wasn’t as cheerful for his team. With Tsunoda in 13th and Liam Lawson in 15th, they fell further behind Alpine in the battle for sixth place in the Constructors’ standings. Alpine now has a 13-point lead, making it very hard for RB to catch up in the last race of the season.