Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, both former Red Bull juniors, have had a complex relationship throughout their careers, sometimes teammates, sometimes rivals. Lawson, who took a more traditional route through the junior ranks, spent several years in Formula 3 and Formula 2 before making his way into Formula 1, while Tsunoda’s journey was much quicker, joining the F1 grid in 2021 after just one year in F3. Today, both drivers find themselves as teammates in Red Bull’s junior team, VCARB, with aspirations of moving up to the senior team, although Lawson is considered a more likely candidate for a promotion, with Tsunoda’s future uncertain.
The two drivers first encountered each other in 2019 when they were teammates in the Euroformula Open, although they were not on the same team in FIA Formula 3. Lawson recalled how Tsunoda used a tactic to intimidate him on the track by getting dangerously close during practice and qualifying sessions. Tsunoda’s behavior was aimed at putting pressure on Lawson, though it seemed more like an attempt to psyche him out rather than a deliberate action to harm him.
This tactic was particularly evident during the 2019 Macau Grand Prix, where both drivers were racing for different teams, with Lawson for MP Motorsport and Tsunoda for Hitech Grand Prix. Lawson recounted a specific incident where Tsunoda’s usual close-quarters maneuver backfired, resulting in a crash. After completing a lap, Lawson was cooling down when Tsunoda, coming up behind him, tried to get as close as possible. In the challenging, bumpy conditions of Macau, Tsunoda misjudged the maneuver, clipped Lawson’s front wheel, and crashed into the barrier, causing significant damage to his own car and Lawson’s suspension.
Lawson immediately recognized Tsunoda’s attempt to intimidate him, though it appeared to have been a miscalculation. Despite the crash, Tsunoda did not apologize for his actions. Lawson recounted their interaction later that night when they met in an elevator, and Tsunoda gave him a knowing smile, acknowledging that Lawson understood exactly what had happened, even though the others might not have realized the true cause of the incident.
Now, as teammate in VCARB, Lawson has had a strong start, scoring four points in his first three races, while Tsunoda’s future remains in limbo. Lawson is expected to stay with the junior team unless he is called up to replace Sergio Perez in the senior Red Bull team. The pair’s rivalry and shared history as Red Bull juniors have shaped their careers, and their actions on and off the track continue to define their paths in motorsport.
