RB's Mekies: Lawson will push Tsunoda to 'another level'
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RB team boss Laurent Mekies believes that the inner team rivalry between F1 returnee Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda will compel the Japanese driver to raise his game to the next level.
Lawson, who has been slotted into Daniel Ricciardo's seat at RB for the remainder of the 2024 season, returned to the grid at last weekend's US Grand Prix to resume his career in F1 after a five-race cameo in 2023.
The Kiwi faced multiple challenges in Austin, such as getting up to speed with his VCARB 01 during a single practice session, and on a track he had never driven before. Furthermore, he was guaranteed a back row start for Sunday's race due to numerous engine penalties.
Lawson's first achievement at The Circuit of the Americas was setting the third fastest time in Saturday's Q1 qualifying segment.
But his display on race day was truly impressive, with a blinding opening lap during which he gained six positions followed by a flawless effort that landed him in ninth position at the checkered flag.
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"It's a mega impressive weekend," Mekies told Motorsport.com. "We are very, very happy for him, because you don't get there by luck, you don't get there also just with talent.
"You think back to the full year that he has been doing in the engineering office, watching the onboards, watching the data, the hours in the simulator, the very little occasions to actually run the car. And you have to give him credit for the amount of hours he has put in it with little return.
"He was certainly 100% ready to jump in the car, so well done. It was already a mega statement in Q1, we thought that could be the statement of the weekend.
"But then a faultless race, the right pace. There is not much more you can ask, honestly. It's just about the perfect start."
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Mekies also noted Lawson's incisiveness as he battled an irate Fernando Alonso in Saturday's Sprint.
"I think also that was refreshing, he was already not overthinking things and just defending his positions in the right way - that's what you want to see with this sort of guy," said the Frenchman.
"Not only has he not been driving in a race in a year, but also he has never been driving here in Austin."
In Sunday's Grand Prix proper, Tsunoda, who had started his race P8, twelve spots ahead of Lawson, was overhauled by the latter on lap 19 of 52 as a result of an early switch from mediums to hards for the Japanese driver.
Lawson meanwhile had opted for exactly the opposite, meaning a long opening stint on the hards before switching to mediums.
The latter's approach proved the faster strategy, much to Tsunoda's frustration as he lumbered to P14.
"Of course. It's not every day that an overcut happens," admitted Mekies. "Obviously, the reverse strategy worked very well - certainly, for Liam, also for [Williams' Franco] Colapinto. They took some risk on the strategy.
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"Obviously, it's a call that is easier to make when you are starting at the back, but it worked particularly well.
"The race was more frustrating for Yuki because of a bit more time in traffic, and it's always difficult when you are eighth in the first stint to find yourself outside of the points."
Last Sunday's round of racing clearly revealed to Tsunoda that he has a robust challenge on his hands with Lawson proving himself to be a fast and fearless competitor who isn't afraid to seize every opportunity on track.
"It is absolutely an opportunity for him to reach another level," Mekies agreed.
"Again, it's exactly what we want, two team-mates that push each other, and one is going faster in this corner, one goes faster in this other corner, and they both are able to put in very consistent laps."
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