Yuki Tsunoda brands Liam Lawson ‘ridiculous’ in unheard Italian Grand Prix team radio

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Yuki Tsunoda had another contrasting race to teammate Max Verstappen during the Italian Grand Prix, having failed to score points.

The Japanese driver finished outside of the points in 13th place ahead of Liam Lawson, following an on-track skirmish with the Racing Bulls driver.

Tsunoda and Lawson made contact at the Turn 4 chicane while fighting for the last points positions following their pit stops, which caused damage to both cars.

The contact inflicted enough damage to cause both drivers to lose additional time and places to Isack Hadjar, who was recovering after starting from the pit lane, and Carlos Sainz. The stewards deemed no further action when they investigated the contact, effectively deeming it a racing incident.

Speaking to his engineer Ernesto Desiderio after the race, Tsunoda has some choice words for his fellow Red Bull driver.

Yuki Tsunoda thinks Liam Lawson overtake was ‘ridiculous’ during Italian Grand Prix

It’s no secret that Tsunoda is currently fighting for his seat at Red Bull, after Laurent Mekies refused to confirm that he would be with them in 2026.

The Japanese driver told engineer Desiderio exactly how he felt about the move by Lawson, who finished in 14th place at the chequered flag.

After replacing Lawson at the start of the season, Tsunoda has not improved on results at Red Bull and was around half a second off Verstappen in qualifying.

The lack of points puts him in a precarious position, as he is currently the lowest-placed Red Bull driver in the Drivers’ Championship. Hadjar has been mooted as a replacement for Tsunoda, after he gained universal praise in the F1 paddock for his Dutch GP podium.

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Yuki Tsunoda does not have the same car as Max Verstappen

With such a different race weekend outcome compared to Verstappen, questions are rightly asked over the status of the equipment at Red Bull between the two drivers.

Mekies was quick to say that Tsunoda did not have the same car as Verstappen in Spa, and now Nico Rosberg has ‘heard’ that Tsunoda has an older-spec Red Bull.

Verstappen would likely always get newer parts because of his status in the championship, although most of the parts used on the cars this weekend were being re-used from the Belgian GP weekend.

Given the records Verstappen broke and the impressive turnaround in form, it’s clear that Tsunoda is being held back given he was only around two tenths off Verstappen during Friday practice.