SKY SPORTS

VIDEO: AlphaTauri's McManus breaks down as Tsunoda disqualified from starting following engine failure.

( guys just pretend there's like a tyre wall or something here- )

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - It's been a rough few weeks for Red Bull and AlphaTauri during this latest Formula 1 season, and some are feeling it more than others.

This season has been especially heart wrenching for Dakota McManus, AlphaTauri's assistant pit crew chief. The twenty-three year old has held the job for one season, following her grandfather's stroke. As was revealed following their passionate post-finish line kiss, McManus seems to be in a committed relationship with AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda, who finished fourth in Abu Dhabi last year.

In Jeddah last night, after many mechanical failures during qualifying, Tsunoda's car was met with engine problems affecting his ability to make it to the starting grid, making the Saudi Arabian Gran Prix the second race of the 2022 season where AlphaTauri only raced with a single car, following Pierre Gasly's fiery exit from the Bahrain Grand Prix last week.

Footage obtained by Sky Sports reporters covering the event appears to show McManus ripping her headset off and screaming, before kicking over an empty metal oil drum and proceeding to yell at her team, causing team principal Franz Tost to step in. Tsunoda is later seen rushing into the garage to comfort McManus, in an emotional moment captured and shared on social media worldwide in response to critical media reception of McManus' attitude towards AlphaTauri's issues.

The team has still not released a statement regarding the mechanical failure.

TWITTER

There isn't a single person in any garage that is more devoted to her team than Dakota McManus is to AlphaTauri. I have had the pleasure of knowing Dakota for five years now, watching her grow from season to season. I have seen Mac cry her eyes out after races where she didn't think she had done enough even though Franz, Yuki and Pierre had told her she did more than enough. I have seen her out in overtime in the garage even though it's no longer a part of her job description because she is so determined to have that car run smoothly. I have even seen Dakota drive one of the cars during fall testing in Melbourne because she wanted to make sure she knew what it would feel like for the driver's if something were to go wrong.

She had a good reason to be upset today, and this season has clearly been hard on her. It;s disheartening when one of your team;s cars can't finish a race, and for it to happen for two races in a row is unfortunate, but the way the Media has been treating Mac is unacceptable.

# IStandWithDakota

- Daniel Ricciardo | DR3 ( danielricciardo3 )

I guarantee if any of the team principals were this upset with their teams results, the media would have no problem justifying it.

Dakota is still a person with real human feelings and she should be allowed to feel them. Moreover, she's my best friend and I will not stand for her to be treated this way.

I love you, Mac.

# IStandWithDakota

- Lance Strulovitch ( LanceStroll )

I know how hard it is to work in one of our garages. It's a job that's never easy, although I was fortunate enough that after thirty years, it paid off for me. But I was also a young man from Austria, so I can't imagine what it was like for a teenage girl to enter into this world, and I will not pretend to.

But that factor cannot negate Dakota's worth as an asset to Scuderia AlphaTauri and it is shameful for you to think that a young woman experiencing her own personal, complicated emotions is not cut out for this job.

# IStandWithDakota

- Guenther Steiner ( HaasF1TeamBoss )

I have no words right now.

Dakota gives us her everything every single race. 

Never in my life have I seen a crew member so viciously attacked for doing their job.

You would never say something like this about Toto Wolff or Christian Horner, who are known for pit wall meltdowns.

So don't say it about Dakota Elaine McManus, my best friend and platonic soulmate.

And the best fucking woman for the job.

# IStandWithDakota

- Pierre Gasly ( PierreGasly )

# IStandWithDakota

I don't think I need to elaborate much further than those four words, the hashtag says it better and quicker than I could.

- Valtteri Bottas (ValtteriBottas)

If Max Verstappen can get away with being emotional and having a little temper tantrum every race, Dakota should be able to as well. The doubls standards are sickening

# IStandWithDakota # IStandWithDakota # IStandWithDakota

- marnie <3 || merc or bust ( user2348765432 )

It's just noise, kiddo. You;re going to come back stronger, I can feel it. # IStandWithDakota

- Kimi Raikkonen ( KiniRaikkonen )

This has gone too far. Dakota is human and she should be able to make mistakes. Loving someone means that you stand by them, always. So I will *always* be at Dakota's side.

I love you, baby.

# IStandWithDakota

- Yuki Tsunoda (YukiTsunoda)