Yuki Tsunoda: I loved fighting opponents

In his Formula 1 debut race, Liam Lawson is remembered for blocking Kevin Magnussen in the pit lane and receiving a 10-second time penalty. However, the New Zealander overtook veteran teammate AlphaTauri and finished thirteenth.

Yuki Tsunoda received a five-second time penalty and two penalty points for a collision with George Russell – the Japanese rider was 16th in race protocol.

Liam Lawson (13th): “My goal was to do 72 laps today. When I went to the starting grid and it started to rain, I did not experience the most pleasant emotions. There was no choice, so I had to go to the pits, where unfortunately I was fined and lost a lot of time.

In the second half of the race on an empty track and closer to the finish on intermediate tires I had a good pace. There is still work to be done, but I am happy that I rode the whole race in different conditions. This experience will help you move forward.”

Yuki Tsunoda (16th): “I showed good speed and had some exciting battles in the first half of the race, offensively and defensively – I’m happy.

Before the race, the team and I agreed on a strategy that meant I wouldn’t switch to used Soft tyres, and I thought I could finish without an extra pit stop. The grip was good, but the new tires on the rivals gave us more advantage than we thought, so our calculation was not justified.

When it started to rain I decided it was better to go into the pits. I appreciate that the team respected my decision. In the last laps I didn’t have enough grip on the intermediate tyres, I couldn’t warm them up and maintain the operating temperature. We will investigate the cause, as this is an unusual situation for us.

It is a pity that we failed to show speed in qualifying, but I am happy that we gave our best today and showed a higher pace in the race.”