Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda told they cannot avoid ‘sporting hatred’ as RB teammates

Follow us on Google Discover

Liam Lawson will climb into a Formula 1 cockpit for the first time in over a year at this weekend’s United States Grand Prix.

The Kiwi has waiting patiently in the Red Bull wings for a full-time opportunity, and it has come at a time of need for his Visa Cash App RB team.

In the midst of an intense fight for sixth in the constructors’ championship, there is a lot of prize money at stake in the final six races of the 2024 season.

But, at the same time, there is the possibility of a seat alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull for 2025, making it slightly harder to work as a team and not think selfishly.

Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda will struggle with ‘sporting hatred’

It would be a metaphoric rise to fame if Lawson was to manage to secure a berth with the senior team, but that would require him to beat teammate Yuki Tsunoda.

The Japanese driver could also earn himself a promotion but needs to comprehensively defeat the 22-year-old.

It’s a less-than-ideal situation which Dr Riccardo Ceccarelli believes could create an unavoidable sort of ‘hatred’ between the two.

READ MORE: What F1 teams do well at US GP including Mercedes and Red Bull

“I think and hope for him that he does well,” he told Motorsportcom Italia. “I expect him to do well. But, he has a teammate who at this moment, will be with a knife between his teeth.

“We know very well between that teammates, kisses, hugs, let’s go do the briefings together, we share many things together.

“But then when they enter that cockpit [it changes]. There is clearly a channel of sporting hatred. But, it is normal for it to be like this.”

Why Tsunoda has key head start over Lawson

Tsunoda has the benefit of nearly four full seasons of Formula 1 experience under his belt now, including many tracks that Lawson wouldn’t have driven such a high-performance car on.

The likes of Mexico, Las Vegas and Sao Paulo are all tracks that the Kiwi may not have driven on at all, so he will have to be ready to spend a lot of time in the simulator preparing for them.

The VCARB car showed signs of improvement before the mini autumn break, and a few extra upgrades could see them back in the mix for points.

READ MORE: Max Verstappen warned of what Red Bull driver ‘doesn’t need’ ahead of the US Grand Prix

If both can perform well, it will be a welcome headache for Red Bull as they look ahead to the future of the senior team.

On merit, the drive probably deserves to go to Tsunoda, as the man who has carried the Faenza-based outfit for two seasons – but who knows where it will end up?