F1 Driver Yuki Tsunoda Details US Immigration Hold-Up

Japanese Formula One driver Yuki Tsunoda, who made his F1 debut in 2021, stated he “nearly got sent back home” after being detained by immigration officials upon his arrival in the USA. The 24-year-old arrived in the United States earlier this week in preparation for Sunday’s Las Vegas Grand Prix. Tsunoda traveled without his Red Bull team, accompanied solely by his physiotherapist. Despite possessing all necessary paperwork and required visas, Tsunoda reported being held by US Customs and Border Protection for a period of up to three hours. He commented, “Luckily, they let me in after a couple of discussions,” adding, “Well, a lot of discussions, actually. But yeah, I nearly got sent back home.” Tsunoda recounted, “Suddenly he [the official] just put me in the room and when I had a conversation I was like, ‘Can I bring the person that I’m going to travel with?’ Maybe he can help a little bit to explain a bit more about myself and the situation in Formula 1?” He further explained, “But they didn’t allow me to bring them or even call anyone. I wanted to call the team as well or maybe F1 so they can help me. But in that room, you can’t do anything.” The driver mentioned he was wearing pyjamas at the time following a lengthy flight, suggesting “maybe I didn’t look like an F1 driver.” He asserted that the immigration official inquired about his salary during the interview. He continued, “[It’s an] uncomfortable thing, just feels like the things that I got a lot of pressure from them for, I couldn’t say anything. If I say something, I feel like I’m in more in trouble. Hopefully all things [are] solved. Luckily, I went through smoothly [in the end].” US Customs and Border Protection has been contacted for a statement regarding the incident. The Las Vegas Grand Prix is scheduled to commence at 06:00 GMT on Sunday.