Yuki Tsunoda expressed dissatisfaction with his former teammate Liam Lawson after the qualifying round in Austin. The Japanese driver accused the New Zealander of deliberately obstructing him during Q2, which resulted in his elimination before Q3. “He always does these things on purpose,” Tsunoda accused the Racing Bulls driver. However, Lawson disagrees with the Japanese driver’s statements.
While teammate Max Verstappen was able to start the race in Austin from pole position, Yuki Tsunoda could only secure a thirteenth starting spot. The Japanese driver didn’t make it past Q2, partly because Liam Lawson obstructed him during his fast lap, according to Tsunoda. “Lawson is deliberately hindering me,” the Red Bull driver expressed his displeasure over the radio. “He drives very slowly in the corners.”
Tsunoda stated after the session that he was not surprised by his former teammate’s actions. “It’s always the same story with Lawson,” the Japanese driver said when asked about the moment he encountered the New Zealander in Q2. “He always does these things on purpose. It’s really terrible, but it’s typical of him. To be honest, I don’t care about him.” According to Tsunoda, he would have made it to Q3 without the incident with Lawson. “So far, I can’t seem to have a normal qualifying round. It’s very frustrating, but it is what it is.”
Lawson Responds
Meanwhile, Liam Lawson does not agree with the statements of his former teammate. “I have no idea what he’s talking about,” the New Zealander retorted. “I think the traffic here is always a bit busy, to be honest. But we’ve all had problems with it this weekend. We ourselves were significantly hindered in sector one yesterday. I can’t imagine how I could have been in his way, but that’s just how it is.”
