“I Was Just About to Get Sent Back Home”: Yuki Tsunoda Recalls Harrowing Immigration Experience at Las Vegas Airport

Grand Prix weekends can be a stressful affair for everyone involved in the sport. But for the drivers, it is essential to be at the peak of their concentration and mental health. Unfortunately for Yuki Tsunoda, he was left shaken up after a harrowing experience at the Las Vegas airport.

Coming into the US for the Las Vegas GP, Tsunoda revealed that he was stopped at immigration and taken in for interrogation. While this was widely discussed in the paddock yesterday, the Japanese driver opened up about what exactly happened when he spoke to ESPN’s Nate Saunders.

“Suddenly they brought me into like a small room which it’s not, it’s not possible to use even the [mobile] phone. I was just about to get sent back home,” he said. The RB driver then went on to reveal that he was also not able to get in touch with his physio, who could’ve helped him explain the situation a bit better.

Yuki Tsunoda reveals that he was almost refused entry into the USA

“Luckily, they let me in after a couple of discussions.”

“Well, a lot of discussions, actually. But yeah, I nearly got sent back home. Everything is all good, so I’m here now.”

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This entire ordeal started despite the #22 driver telling the officers that he was a Formula 1 driver here for the Grand Prix this weekend. As Saunders suggested, the officials should have just googled his name to verify the story.

Despite immigration scare, Tsunoda is not angry with officials

Discussing the hours of time he was made to wait at the airport, Tsunoda explained that he felt the officials knew who he was. He even said that the other drivers did not face a similar issue at the airport.

However, despite having to go through such an ordeal, the young Japanese racing driver does not feel anger towards the officers. Rather, he explained that he was sympathetic to their jobs and the levels of security that needs to be maintained.

“I don’t know, like it sounded like yeah ‘they know about me’ but at the same time like, you know, they’re doing their job I guess, too. I mean what they [were] saying, that makes sense a little bit as well,” concluded Tsunoda.