Tsunoda apologises to Racing Bulls for ‘very unnecessary’ Lawson comments after Austin

Yuki Tsunoda has apologised to the Racing Bulls team for comments he made about Liam Lawson after Qualifying last time out at the United States Grand Prix, with the Japanese driver labelling his remarks as “very unnecessary”.

Tsunoda had hit out at Lawson following Saturday’s running in Austin when he felt that he had been blocked by the New Zealander, marking another flashpoint between the pair after a previous battle in Friday’s Sprint Qualifying when both tried to reach the line in time to set a final SQ1 lap.

Following Qualifying, Tsunoda said of his rival: “With Lawson, it’s just the usual story. He’s always doing something on purpose, and it’s b*******, so it’s him. I don’t care about him, to be honest." Lawson, meanwhile, responded that he had “absolutely no idea what he’s talking about”.

With both in attendance for Thursday’s first drivers’ press conference ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix, Tsunoda and Lawson were quizzed on whether they had spoken since Austin and if they were now happy to go racing against each other.

“I don’t think we have spoken in person,” Tsunoda responded, before Lawson commented: “I don’t really know what happened in Austin, to be honest.”

Tsunoda – who previously drove for Racing Bulls until his seat swap with Lawson at Round 3 of the championship in Japan, a move that saw Lawson demoted after just two races as a Red Bull driver – then explained: “I apologised to the team, to VCARB, for what I said in the media – it was very unnecessary.”

Lawson went on to give his take on the challenges facing the teams and drivers during the closing stages of the campaign, adding: “It’s an intense part of the season, so for sure 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. It’s little things that make a difference.”

Both Tsunoda and Lawson are yet to learn their fates for 2026, amid speculation that the two are battling for a single seat as rumours circulate that Isack Hadjar will join Red Bull and Formula 2 driver Arvid Lindblad could make the step up to F1 with Racing Bulls.

In terms of the factors that they believe could swing things in their favour should they be vying for that spot on the grid, Tsunoda spoke of the role that he can play as team mate Max Verstappen bids for the Drivers’ Championship, while Red Bull are looking to close in on Mercedes and Ferrari in the battle for P2 of the Teams’ crown.

“I guess the results [are what matter], right?” the 25-year-old said. “For me it’s more clear, it’s really a crucial moment as a team in the championship, especially [for] my team mate, so [it’s about] how much I can support that.

“There is the potential to be P2 in the Teams’ Championship, which is very good, and what I scored in Austin [P7] is a good step, so I’ve got to have more of the same. Just keep scoring at every race, which in the last few years Red Bull drivers have struggled at.

“I’m in the right trajectory, especially in the second half of the season so far, each race is pretty good. I’ve proven those things in past years, and especially in another season with a different team, so what I have to do is quite clear.”

As for Lawson, the 23-year-old answered: “I’m just going to drive as fast as I can every time I get in the car, and I don’t think change too much.

“It’s a results-based programme, it’s always been performance-based since I joined when I was 16 – it was always perform and you get promoted and you stay in the sport, and that’s probably as simple as I can put it.”