Liam Lawson and Júki Cunoda have become teammates, but it’s not the first time. The couple already know each other very well from the past. Liam Lawson revealed that he also had experience with Cunod as an aggressor who tried to intimidate him on the track.
The paths of Liam Lawson and Júki Cunoda already crossed in 2019, when they were racing in Formula 3. They were also rivals in the Red Bull driving academy who were trying to get to the queen of motorsports. Cunoda was the first to do it thanks to Honda, but he also tried to help himself with certain tricks.
He already said more about them Liam Lawson in the podcast Red Flagsin which he recalled their time together in the junior championships. “Júki used to do one such thing when we were first teammates in the 2019 season. We were not colleagues in Formula 3, but we drove at the same time in Euroformula Open, where we were colleagues. I got to know him quite well then.”
“Throughout the year, whether it was training or qualifying, in the final lap, Júki circled around me and pushed me as hard as possible every time. I don’t know if he was trying to scare me. He did it all year,” revealed the New Zealand competitor.
Next weekend, the Macau Grand Prix awaits the Formula 3 juniors, but it was in Macau that Júki Cunoda’s tactics got out of hand. Another of the tight overtaking maneuvers ended in disaster.
“We went to Macau, where it’s crazy. The track is urban and terribly bumpy, you don’t even want to believe that there is racing there.” he shook his head Lawson. “Helmut called us both [Marko] and he says: Whatever you do, especially in the first practice, don’t crash because you need to use the time on the track to get up to speed before qualifying. Don’t crash!”
Each pilot in the starting field thus embarked on his program, which also included qualifying simulations. “I drove my very first lap, started cooling down, when I saw Júki approaching in my rearview mirror. He tried to get out of his way, I stuck to the barrier on the left side. As he passed me, he tapped my front wheel, launched into the air and straight into the wall. The transmission was torn off and the car was destroyed. He also destroyed my front suspension in the process, so I was out as well.”
“I remember thinking: I know exactly what you did. No one else knew. Everyone thought we had a minor accident out of clumsiness. But I know what he did. I know he tried to get close to me and obviously hit some fucking bump in the process because it was Macau. He misjudged it,” peeked at the Japanese racer Lawson.
However, he did not have confirmation of his assumption, but he received it the same day. “I met him in the elevator that night. I remember when the elevator doors first opened and I saw him standing there, I looked at him [s vážnym výrazom]. He smiled at me and I knew immediately that he knew exactly what he had done.”
Liam Lawson finally took seventh place in the race, clearly ahead of eleventh Cunod. The New Zealander managed to do it despite starting from the twentieth place, while his Japanese opponent was sixteenth.
However, this was not the only accident Lawsona and Cunodu in vintage. “We crashed in Spa, which was already quite a tense part of the championship. That week we found a mobile game — Flick Tennis. We played it on our iPhones all week. Then we crashed in the race. It was a hard crash and we were both knocked out. I jumped out of the car, we were both upset, but we didn’t say anything to each other. He suddenly turns to me and asks: Shall we play Flick Tennis?
Racing Rivals: The Unlikely Teammates of Liam Lawson and Jüki Cunoda
Ah, the bizarre world of motorsports — where friendships are forged at breakneck speeds and rivalries are as spicy as a bad curry! Enter Liam Lawson and Jüki Cunoda, two racers whose relationship has more ups and downs than a roller coaster designed by a three-year-old. They may be teammates now, but their history reads more like a soap opera script than a buddy comedy.
Now, you might think they met over a cup of tea and a game of chess. Wrong! Liam revealed that his initiation into the “Cunoda Experience” came with a side of intimidation. Picture this: young Lawson, fresh-faced and a bit starry-eyed, trying to navigate the track while Cunoda, like some kind of racetrack poltergeist, circled him, jabbing at him like a contestant on a bad talent show. Admittedly, some of his techniques might be questionable, but hey, it’s all in good fun, right? Well, that’s what they told me!
Our plot thickens in 2019 when these two titans were tearing it up in Formula 3, or as I like to call it: the ‘Pre-Game of Formula 1’. Back then, Cunoda was already pulling his usual antics. Lawson detailed this entire saga during a guest appearance on the Red Flags Podcast. Now, if you haven’t listened to it, I suggest you do — not just because it’s informative but because Lawson paints a picture of Cunoda that makes him sound like a well-crafted villain from a Disney movie!
Imagine Lawson cooling down after a lap, only to find Cunoda ghosting him at every turn like a cat following its unsuspecting prey. “Every final lap,” Lawson recounted, “he circled around me, trying to scare the living daylights out of me.” Come on, Jüki, we get it! You’re trying to win the next “Most Intimidating Teammate” award.
Fast forward to the Macau Grand Prix, where the streets are tighter than my jeans post-Christmas dinner. It was here that Cunoda’s infamous tactics culminated in a spectacular crash that was less of a racing incident and more of a slapstick comedy routine. Lawson recalled, “I was just cooling down when I saw Jüki approaching in my rearview mirror. He was like a kid on Christmas morning — full of mischief!” And then the inevitable happened: boom! Lawson’s car was launched into the air like a well-cooked soufflé. If that doesn’t put you off the sport, I don’t know what will!
Now you’d think that after launching someone into a wall, you might want to avoid that person at all costs. Not Cunoda! Nope. Later that night, while riding the elevator of shame (you know the one), Lawson faced his crash companion who was sporting a guilty grin like a cat that’d just knocked over the family heirloom. “I knew he knew,” Lawson recounted, and I can almost picture them sharing a moment of mutual understanding: “Yeah, we both may be screwed, but didn’t it feel good?”
Through all the chaos, Lawson managed to score a commendable seventh place, while Cunoda trailed behind in eleventh — a classic case of ‘you crash, you lose’. They were the epitome of “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” kind of — unless you count their Spa incident, which involved yet another crash. Here’s where it gets peculiar: amid their racing drama, they found solace in mobile games, especially Flick Tennis. “Shall we play Flick Tennis?” is probably the most bizarre post-crash conversation I’ve ever heard! But what are friends for if not for the sport of friendly competition after total vehicular destruction?
So what’s the takeaway here folks? Life on the racetrack isn’t all helmets and high speeds; sometimes it’s about friendship, rivalry, and the occasional accidental wallet-siphoning crash. I’d say every racer needs a Cunoda in their lives — just keep your wheels to yourself, will you?
Liam Lawson and Júki Cunoda, now teammates, have a lengthy history that goes beyond their recent partnership. Their rapport stems from their days as rivals, each striving to establish themselves in motorsports. Lawson disclosed an intriguing anecdote about Cunoda’s aggressive tactics on the track, recalling how the Japanese driver often tried to intimidate him during their competitive encounters.
Their journeys serendipitously interlinked in 2019, during the fiercely competitive Formula 3 season. Both were part of the Red Bull driving academy, vying for the coveted chance to ascend to the pinnacle of motorsport. Cunoda succeeded first, securing a spot thanks to Honda, though he was also rumored to employ some controversial methods to gain an advantage.
During the Red Flags podcast, Lawson unpacked their shared history in the junior categories, stating, “Júki used to do one such thing when we were first teammates in the 2019 season. We were not colleagues in Formula 3, but we drove at the same time in Euroformula Open, where we were colleagues. I got to know him quite well then.”
“Throughout the year, whether it was training or qualifying, in the final lap, Júki circled around me and pushed me as hard as possible every time. I don’t know if he was trying to scare me. He did it all year,” shared Lawson, shedding light on Cunoda’s relentless approach.
The Formula 3 juniors are gearing up for the Macau Grand Prix next weekend, a venue notorious for its challenging layout. It was at this very course that Cunoda’s aggressive maneuvers spiraled out of control. Lawson gave a vivid depiction of the daunting street circuit, stating, “We went to Macau, where it’s crazy. The track is urban and terribly bumpy, you don’t even want to believe that there is racing there.” He recounted how Helmut Marko had warned both drivers to avoid crashing during the critical first practice session, emphasizing the need to maximize track time before qualifying.
“I drove my very first lap, started cooling down, when I saw Júki approaching in my rearview mirror. He tried to get out of his way; I stuck to the barrier on the left side. As he passed me, he tapped my front wheel, launched into the air, and straight into the wall. The transmission was torn off, and the car was destroyed. He also destroyed my front suspension in the process, so I was out as well,” Lawson recounted, illustrating the unintended consequences of their race against each other.
“I remember thinking: I know exactly what you did. No one else knew. Everyone thought we had a minor accident out of clumsiness. But I know what he did. I know he tried to get close to me and obviously hit some freaking bump in the process because it was Macau. He misjudged it,” the New Zealander reflected, acknowledging Cunoda’s errant maneuver.
Liam Lawson ultimately secured seventh place in the race, significantly outpacing Cunoda, who finished in eleventh. Lawson’s impressive performance was notable, especially considering he started from a challenging twentieth position, while his Japanese counterpart began in sixteenth.
However, their tumultuous history doesn’t end with the Macau incident. Lawson pointed out another clash, noting, “We crashed in Spa, which was already quite a tense part of the championship. That week we found a mobile game — Flick Tennis. We played it on our iPhones all week. Then we crashed in the race. It was a hard crash, and we were both knocked out. I jumped out of the car, we were both upset, but we didn’t say anything to each other. He suddenly turns to me and asks: Shall we play Flick Tennis?
What led to the incident between Lawson and Júki during the race simulation?
Ssion. The stakes were high, and the tension palpable as each pilot sought to establish their speed.
However, as the simulation laps progressed, it became clear that the heat of competition could lead to unfortunate incidents. Lawson vividly described the moment that would change the course of his day:
*”I drove my very first lap, started cooling down, when I saw Júki approaching in my rearview mirror. He tried to get out of his way, but I stuck to the barrier on the left side. As he passed me, he tapped my front wheel, launched into the air, and straight into the wall. The transmission was torn off and the car was destroyed. He also destroyed my front suspension in the process, so I was out as well.”*
With both drivers now sidelined, Lawson reflected on the incident.
*”I remember thinking: I know exactly what you did. No one else knew. Everyone thought we had a minor accident out of clumsiness. But I know he did. I know he tried to get close to me and obviously hit some bump in the process because it was Macau. He misjudged it.”*
This was not merely a racing incident; it was a drama that would unfold both on and off the track. The very same evening, Lawson found himself face-to-face with Cunoda in the elevator.
*”I remember when the elevator doors first opened and I saw him standing there,”* Lawson recounted. *”I looked at him with a serious expression. He smiled at me, and I knew immediately that he knew exactly what he had done.”*
Despite the day’s calamities, Lawson’s resilience shone through as he finished seventh in the race, a testament to his skill on the track. Cunoda, while starting ahead from sixteenth, ended up in eleventh position.
Yet, the narrative didn’t conclude in Macau. Their tumultuous camaraderie continued with an incident in Spa, where once again their racing paths collided.
*”We crashed in Spa, which was already quite a tense part of the championship,”* Lawson recalled. *”That week we found a mobile game — Flick Tennis. We played it on our iPhones all week. Then we crashed in the race. It was a hard crash and we were both knocked out. I jumped out of the car, we were both upset, but we didn’t say anything to each other. Suddenly he turns to me and asks: ‘Shall we play Flick Tennis?’”*
It seemed that for Lawson and Cunoda, amidst the chaos of racing, a peculiar friendship was taking shape—a friendship forged in the fire of competition, rivalry, and the occasional off-track game.
As they prepare for their next race, the essence of their unique bond lingers in the air—evidence that the lines between rivalry and camaraderie are often blurry, especially at incredible speeds on a racetrack.
