Yuki Tsunoda apologises to team after Liam Lawson accusations

Yuki Tsunoda apologised to RB for his “unnecessary” Austin remarks about Liam Lawson allegedly impeding him

Yuki Tsunoda has apologised to the Red Bull team for the comments he made after qualifying at the United States Grand Prix. After suggesting Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson had impeded his lap on purpose last weekend, he has since drawn a line under the drama.

Austin saw the Japanese driver enraged after he felt like he was being held up by the Kiwi.

“It’s just more like his usual,” he said at the time. “I expect nothing more than that from him, to be honest. It’s more like just the timing of the garage exit was not even close. I don’t know what’s happened there. Something went wrong, and I didn’t have an opportunity to do the lap time, so it’s a shame.”

His claim that Lawson was “always doing something on purpose" capped a tricky weekend for Tsunoda after a difficult sprint qualifying on the Friday.

He was asked whether he had been able to talk with Lawson following the spat during Thursday's press conference ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix.

"I don't think we have spoken in person," Tsunoda said.

"I don't really know what happened in Austin, to be honest, so..." Lawson added.

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: James Sutton / LAT Images via Getty Images

"I... Well, I apologise to the team, to VCARB, for what I said," Tsunoda continued. "It was very unnecessary. And I think, yeah, it's... Yeah, that's it."

"Yeah, I mean, it's an intense part of the season," Lawson continued, downplaying what happened between the two. "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, but... yeah."

There is a natural rivalry between the two drivers as Red Bull continues to judge their driving for the 2026 seat beside Max Verstappen. This grand prix has been touted by Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko as a potential decision point, hinting that Tsunoda and Lawson's rivalry may reach new heights this weekend as they fight for their futures in Milton Keynes.

Speaking to ORF ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix earlier this year, Marko outlined what his driver would have to do to maintain his place in the team.

"He has to get closer to Max and deliver that level of performance consistently," he said on Tsunoda. "That's why we've postponed the option dates further back, and now we'll look at the upcoming races and then a decision will be made."

When asked about a specific time, Marko was clear in his response: "I would say around Mexico," he confirmed.

Tsunoda finished seventh at the United States Grand Prix - his second-best finish of 2025 after finishing P6 in Baku. After banking six points for the team, the driver's uptick in results is what he needs to go into Mexico with momentum.