Yuki Tsunoda in F1 Brazil GP with a clear goal: “Steps forward in terms of performance”. Yuki Tsunoda is also eager to end a top-10 drought that has lasted since the Hungarian GP..

In Brazil to forget Mexico
Racing Bulls is ready for the São Paulo Grand Prix, where the Faenza-based team aims to turn the page after last weekend’s struggles in Mexico City. Both drivers failed to reach the points zone after a challenging race, which, for Yuki Tsunoda, ended almost immediately.

No points since the Hungaroring round
Upon braking into turn 1 after the start, the Japanese driver couldn’t avoid contact with Alex Albon, hitting the barriers and having to retire immediately after a weekend that already saw him involved in another collision with the barriers. Besides wanting to put this difficult weekend behind him, Yuki Tsunoda is also eager to end a top-10 drought that has lasted since the Hungarian GP. Since then, he’s either finished outside 11th place or retired: “The positive takeaway from Mexico is that recent changes to the car allowed us to make a good step forward in our performance, and I want to translate that into a clean weekend with points in Brazil,” he stated. “The Interlagos track is very fun, counterclockwise, narrow, winding, with climbs and descents like the ‘S’ of Senna. The short lap keeps you constantly engaged, and even the main straight is actually a long curve. The entire track has been resurfaced, and we have only one hour of free practice to get a feel for it since it’s another Sprint weekend, so I expect Saturday’s race to be the best chance to gauge our long-term pace for the Grand Prix. According to the weather forecast, there’s a chance that rain will add an extra layer of excitement at some point!” – he explained ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend in Interlagos.

First time in Brazil
The situation is different for Liam Lawson, promoted to Racing Bulls in Austin. The New Zealander delivered an impressive race in the USA, finishing in 9th place, but he couldn’t avoid contact with home favorite Sergio Perez in Mexico, with post-race criticisms exchanged between the two. For the 22-year-old, São Paulo will also be a chance to leave that behind: “Last weekend didn’t go as planned, but we hope to bring the pace we had in the car in Mexico and turn it into points this weekend,” he added. “It’s a sprint weekend, so there will be plenty of racing. It’s also the end of the triple-header, so it’ll definitely be a challenging weekend. Interlagos is a track with a lot of history, one I’ve wanted to drive on for a long time, so I’m excited to finally get the chance.”

Current standings ahead of Brazil GP
Currently sixth in the Constructors’ standings, Racing Bulls is ten points behind Haas, who have delivered strong performances in the last two races. Excluding Liam Lawson, who is heading into his third race this season with only two points, Tsunoda faces the São Paulo GP in 12th place in the Drivers’ standings, two points behind Lance Stroll.