“I could’ve been P1”: Yuki Tsunoda rues Safety Car decision at São Paulo Grand Prix 

Yuki Tsunoda has claimed that he could have closed in on his first F1 victory in Brazil with his strategy after qualifying in P3. However, the safety car and the red flag ruined his chances.

A drenched Interlagos turned the 2024 F1 Brazilian Grand Prix into arguably the most eventful race of the season. Most of the drivers stuck with the intermediate tires throughout the race, but Tsunoda was one of the few who went for the full wets during their first stop owing to the conditions.

This gave him the edge over other drivers as the conditions worsened. While he was prepared to tackle the worsening conditions, the race was stopped and the red flag ruined the chances for him to gain on the other drivers as everyone changed tires.

Discussing the race, Tsunoda stated that he could have been P1 if the race hadn't stopped with the red flag.

"I think what we did, switching to extreme, that was good," Yuki Tsunoda said (via Motorsport). Just the safety car and the red flag came out, that was the point that went very down. If the red flag didn't come out, probably I would, at some point, have overtaken a lot of cars and maybe [been] P1, but it just didn't come towards us."

Despite this, he managed to bring the VCARB in points, crossing the line in eighth place. He quickly gained a place and took P7 after Oscar Piastri's 10-second time penalty.

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Possible battle between Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson for second seat at Red Bull?

Liam Lawson has been contending for the second seat at Red Bull ever since he joined the team's program. It looked promising for him after he made his F1 race debut for AlphaTauri in 2023, replacing Daniel Ricciardo due to the Australian's injury. He has replaced him once again this season, however, this time Ricciardo was released by the team mid-season.

While Sergio Perez has a contract with RBR beyond this season, his recent performances against teammate Max Verstappen have been subpar. Moreover, the team has fallen to third place in the constructors' championship. It is apparent that Red Bull might look for other options, and Lawson seems to be a positive prospect.

However, Yuki Tsunoda, who has been racing with the junior team since 2021, is also eyeing that seat. His competitiveness has stabilized in recent seasons, making him a contender for the team.

Both Tsunoda and Lawson appear to be talented and competitive enough to fit into Red Bull. However, the team only has one seat. The duo might get into a tight battle in the remainder of the season.

It is important to note that Red Bull has not made any official statement about Perez's exit from the team. He still has a contract till the 2026 season.