RB boss admits what’s ‘frustrating’ about Yuki Tsunoda’s Las Vegas Grand Prix

Yuki Tsunoda scored Visa Cash App RB two crucial points in the Las Vegas Grand Prix but team principal Laurent Mekies found one part of his race in Sin City ‘frustrating’.

The 24-year-old led the Faenza natives in Nevada as teammate Liam Lawson failed to take a top-10 finish. Tsunoda brought his VCARB 01 home in ninth place ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez. Lawson took just P16 and finished the race 28.197 seconds behind the Japanese ace.

RB need both of their drivers scoring points through the last rounds of the campaign as they contend with Haas and Alpine for sixth place in the constructors’ championship. Haas edged back ahead of Alpine by a point in the fight with Nico Hulkenberg’s P8 in the Las Vegas GP.

RB found Nico Hulkenberg passing Yuki Tsunoda in the Las Vegas GP ‘frustrating’

Alpine had shot from ninth to sixth place thanks to Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly’s double-podium in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. But they stayed on 49 points to split Haas (50) and Visa Cash App RB (46) as Ocon did not get points in P17 and Gasly retired in the Las Vegas GP.

The Las Vegas GP could have gone even better for RB as well had Hulkenberg not overtaken Tsunoda in the closing stages. Mekies admits it was ‘frustrating’ to lose P8 to Haas with five laps left as two extra points in the constructors’ championship slipped through their fingers.

Tsunoda went defensive into Turn 14 to try and hold Hulkenberg back on Lap 45 of 50 in the Las Vegas Grand Prix. But the German had too much pace with the aid of DRS for the Honda junior star to retain eighth place. Hulkenberg went on to finish the race three seconds clear.

Mekies noted after the Las Vegas GP: “After a very solid qualifying performance to start P7, Yuki had a busy race with some great overtaking moves, battling with our rivals all race long.

“Of course, it is frustrating to lose a place with just five laps to go. But, overall, he showed a good race pace in bringing home two very important championship points.”

Yuki Tsunoda is finding form at a key time but Liam Lawson needs to deliver as well

Mekies will now hope Lawson racing on circuits he has had some experience with will help the 22-year-old join Tsunoda in scoring points as Visa Cash App RB look to eclipse Haas and Alpine in the constructors’ championship. It is a close fight with only two rounds to go now.

Lawson watched the debut Las Vegas GP from the sidelines in 2023 and could not match RB teammate Tsunoda in 2024. The Kiwi was 1.168s slower than Tsunoda around the Las Vegas Strip Circuit in Q2 to qualify in just P15 and was almost lapped by George Russell in the race.

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Tsunoda showed what RB could offer in Sin City by qualifying in P7 and finishing in P9, losing spots to McLaren’s Oscar Piastri plus Haas’ Hulkenberg. It marked his second points-scoring finish in as many rounds after Tsunoda’s P7 in the Sao Paulo GP after qualifying in third spot.

He has found form just in time for Visa Cash App RB to rival Haas and Alpine for sixth place in the constructors’ championship with only the Qatar Grand Prix and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to come. Tsunoda had not scored a point in seven rounds before Formula 1’s Brazil trip.