LAWSON: “WE COULD HAVE MADE IT TO Q3 IF TSUNODA HADN’T CRASHED”
Liam Lawson believes that Yuki Tsunoda’s crash ended their chances of reaching Q3.
Lawson mentioned that VCARB could have had both cars in Q3 during Mexico GP qualifying, but Tsunoda’s crash at the end of Q2 prevented it. Tsunoda had been competitive throughout the weekend, finishing third in Friday practice and seventh in the final practice on Saturday. In his last Q2 lap, Tsunoda made a braking error in Turn 12, hitting the barriers. Although it was a low-speed collision, the red flag came out, ending Q2. Both VCARB drivers were attempting to beat Pierre Gasly’s 1:17.048 for P10.
After qualifying, Lawson commented, “It’s a shame. I think we had a fast car this weekend. Yuki was incredibly strong in practice, and we were building on it, fighting in qualifying. The team worked incredibly hard and provided us with a very fast car this weekend, so I think we deserved at least one, if not both, cars in Q3.”
He added, “Having a strong teammate is great because I used his data throughout the weekend, and it was very helpful. My lap time was also solid. Even with a normal performance in the second and third sectors, I could have made it to Q3. But sometimes, these things happen. Unfortunately, when you’re at the back and a red flag comes out, this can happen.”
“Our race pace looks good, so hopefully, we can make some forward progress.”
