Yuki Tsunoda apologised to Visa Cash App RB team for his comments in F1 US GP, but not Liam Lawson, as the two add on along with Isack Hadjar and Oliver Bearman.
Red Bull’s Tsunoda had two moments in F1 US GP, the first involved Visa Cash App RB’s Lawson and the second had Haas’ Bearman. The moment with the Kiwi carried on from the previous round when the Japanese driver noted of some deliberate action on the part of Lawson.
Since both are in contention for a Red Bull-backed seat, Tsunoda has tried to show an unsaid rivalry between the two, while Lawson has kept it as nothing is there. The Japanese driver complained twice about the Kiwi in US GP – one after the sprint qualifying and other after main qualifying.
Later in the race, he had a defensive moment against Bearman, which irked the Brit after he lost position. The Haas driver maintained his stance of the move being dangerous, but noted that the corner is such which may not showcase it to be highly dangerous.
Tunoda maintained the racing incident stance. On the side of Lawson, he revealed about apologising to team Visa Cash App RB, while clearing that he didn’t do so to the Kiwi as they haven’t really had any chat thus far. Hadjar didn’t understand the complaints made by the Japanese, much like his teammate.
Both Tsunoda and Lawson addressed about their futures, where there is nothing much that can be done. Even Hadjar has assurances of being in F1 in 2026, just the team is not certain. But when asked if he knows, he laughed it off, hinting that he has a good idea about his future.
Situation between two –
Tsunoda: “I don’t think we have spoken in person. I apologised to the team, to VCARB. What I said, especially in the media was very unnecessary. And I think… yeah. That’s it.”
Lawson: “I don’t really know what happened in Austin to be honest. Yeah. I mean, it’s an intense part of the season. So for sure, obviously, each weekend’s going to be tough. It’s just incredibly close this year. So each session – especially in qualifying – we’re trying to extract everything. So it’s little things that make a difference.”
Hadjar: “I think there was nothing to complain about [in Austin]. So, I don’t know what he was complaining for.”
Future –
Tsunoda: “Like I said, I’m confident in what I’ve done and the situation I’m in. Obviously, I try to give the best as much as possible to improve myself as soon as possible and score points. So yeah, I just keep doing what I’m doing. It’s up to them, really. It’s what kind of team line-up they want. But I think I’ve improved a lot of things, and I also keep improving myself to deserve… that I can be in the same team next year. Yeah, I mean, I guess the results, right? I think for me it’s more clear – it’s just like, it’s been a crucial moment as a team and also for the championship, especially with my teammate.
“So how much I can support that. And yeah, this is the potential, like I said, to be P2 in the Team Championship, which is very good. And what I scored in Austin was obviously a good step. So, yeah, I’m going to have to do more. Or, yeah, it’s basically more of the same and just keep scoring every race. Which probably, you know, others, especially last few years, Red Bull drivers struggled with that. So I think, like I said, I’m in the right trajectory, especially in the second half of the season. I’m showing good things each race. That’s it. I think I’ve proved a lot of things in past years and especially being on the season in different teams.
“So just… what I have to do is quite clear. Yeah. That’s a crazy question. I’ve been in this Red Bull family for five years, and I know how it works here. I’ve been in this kind of situation pretty much every year so far. I know how it’s handled in Red Bull. So I just keep proving myself and maximise the opportunity. My most important thing is I’m very grateful for this opportunity that I’ve been given, and I just have to maximise it as much as possible. That’s the only focus I’m doing.”
Lawson: “Yeah, I mean, I’m just going to drive as fast as I can every time I get in the car. I don’t think that changes too much. I think obviously it’s a results-based programme – it’s always been performance-based since I joined when I was 16. It was always about performing and then you get promoted and stay in the sport. That’s literally as simple as I can put it. I mean, that I’ll never know, to be honest. I can obviously look back on the year, and I think we’ve definitely found a lot of progress through the year, found a lot of things that have helped us. I can confidently say I’m in a much more comfortable position now than I was, especially when I first made the switch earlier in the season.
“Obviously, you’re just playing catch-up, and as the season went on, I got a lot more comfortable. So I think so. As I said before, you can always look back on stuff, and I’ll look back over the season and there’s always things you can do better. From a stats point of view, it’s got a lot better, obviously. But from a personal side, there’s just things that I’ll always look back on and learn from and try to take that forward into any future racing I do. I have no idea, to be honest.
“I haven’t thought about that specifically. I feel like if it was something that was clear and the decision was made, I feel like we probably would know, and maybe that would be better. But at the same time, I think the main thing is it just doesn’t really change how we approach each weekend. So at the moment, as we’re obviously still waiting on everything that’s going to happen, I think our approaches will just stay the same and try and extract everything out of each weekend.”
Hadjar: “(Laughs) Naah, you are too smart (after being asked that he knows the future but cannot tell). [As for Red early Red Bull switch], unlikely now. That would mean I would have just about two more races with the team [Red Bull], and that’s just not going to happen. I’m also so happy with the team I’m with right now, and for them, I also need to bring the sixth place [in the constructors’ championship] home.
“I know I’m in Formula 1 next year. Actually, I’d like to know at the end of the year. It’s more annoying than anything, the noise. So five races to keep pushing. In an ideal world, I’d like everyone to wait for the end of the year before asking me questions. I will definitely know before it’s announced. Otherwise, there’s a problem.”
Helping Max Verstappen –
Tsunoda: “Yeah, I think I can help in a lot of areas. Setup, different resources. We’re still challenging to discover a lot of new setups that try to suit or maximise the current package, and that’s what we are doing very well this year so far. So that, for sure. And I think position-wise as well – especially being as high as possible – will create more opportunity to play around with the strategy, in favour of the team. You know, whatever – I don’t know – extend the stint depending on the situation.
“Right? Strategy that, if I can help Max to have a higher chance to be P1 or make our competitors’ life more difficult. So, yeah, that’s kind of the role I understand. And especially, I’m not fighting for the championship, my team-mate is. So definitely, yes. But also to do that, obviously, you have to be consistently performing well – as I did in the Austin Sprint race – and that’s what I have to do more in the short run.”
Stance now –
Bearman: “Yeah, I mean, I still have the same assessment. Of course, when I finished the race, I was not happy. Of course, there was adrenaline and stuff, but the corner is one that you can do these kind of dangerous moves without it being that obvious, because of the nature of the corner. So, a lot of people don’t see what I saw and what we saw, but no, I keep the same view. Maybe [there will be discussion in drivers’ briefing]. I mean, this corner where the track is turning left anyway, you just say, well, I’m taking the apex. But if you look at every other lap, that’s not how it looks, you know, so it’s one of those things. That’s the bit that’s worrying, I would say, and the fact that you broke super early as well. That’s where it becomes dangerous.”
Here’s Oliver Bearman after US GP
Here’s Yuki Tsunoda after US GP qualifying
