Liam Lawson recalls the moment Yuki Tsunoda wrote off his car racing in junior formulas

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Liam Lawson is effectively auditioning for a potential drive at Red Bull by contesting the final races of 2024 with Visa CashApp RB.

The 21-year-old has sparked some controversy with some of the more experienced members of the grid, including Fernando Alonso who was in deep conversation after the pair’s on-track spat in Austin.

Things continued to get heated for Lawson during the Mexico City Grand Prix when he made contact with Sergio Perez, damaging the Red Bull driver’s sidepod and effectively ending his race.

Perez was less than impressed with his conduct, while Lawson failed to progress any further into the points-paying positions.

Lawson is going up against Yuki Tsunoda again having briefly been his teammate last year, although the pair have crossed road before they made it to F1 in the junior formulas. Lawson recalled a rather frustrating moment between the two when speaking on The Red Flags podcast.

Liam Lawson recalls when Yuki Tsunoda wrote off his car during practice for Macau GP

Lawson and Tsunoda both competed in the Macau Grand Prix F3 race in 2019 and the New Zealander recalled a moment that happened during one of the practice sessions leading up to the race.

Helmut Marko had explicitly told both drivers not to crash so they could build up speed around the tight and twisty street circuit, but Tsunoda had other ideas.

The Japanese driver had a habit of getting close to Lawson on his out-lap and on one occasion he misjudged the bumps on the track and speared into the barriers.

READ MORE: Who is Visa Cash App RB driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know

“I remember thinking, I knew exactly what he did. Nobody else knows this. Everyone just thinks that we’ve had a clumsy little crash, but I know what he’s done. I know that he’s tried to get close and he’s obviously hit a bump because it’s Macau [and he] misjudged it,” said Lawson.

“I see him in the elevator that night. I remember the elevator doors opening the first time I seen him and he’s standing there. And I looked at him and he smiled at me. I knew straight away that he knew exactly what he had done. And he basically just tried to get really close and just wrote off his car in the very, very first session.”

Liam Lawson outlines the big change he’s seen in Yuki Tsunoda

Tsunoda was caught up in a first-lap incident during the Mexico City Grand Prix after making contact with Alex Albon on the long run down to Turn 1.

The Japanese driver was not wholly at fault for the incident, however, and has managed to improve his consistency since his crash-ridden rookie season in 2021.

Lawson believes Tsunoda is a much better driver now after being faced with a lot to learn in his rookie season, while also maturing as he gains more experience.

Even though he has improved, Tsunoda is not thought to be in the running for a seat at Red Bull should it be vacated by Sergio Perez at the end of the season.