Liam Lawson says his McLaren anthem criticism was just a joke

New Zealander Liam Lawson said he was just joking when he criticised McLaren for playing the British anthem after Formula One victories rather than that of the team's founder and his compatriot Bruce McLaren.

Lawson, who races for Red Bull-owned RB, said in a recent podcast that British-based championship leaders McLaren were really "a New Zealand team".

He pointed out also that Red Bull, though British-based, played the Austrian anthem.

"I think this is stuff that I'm learning in Formula One," Lawson told reporters when asked at the Las Vegas Grand Prix whether he had received any feedback from McLaren.

"I was laughing when I mentioned this comment in a podcast. And it was more of a joke, but obviously it got taken very literally," he said.

"Obviously, I'm very proud to be from New Zealand and our motorsport history. Bruce McLaren is somebody who is an absolute icon in New Zealand in motorsport. So somebody I looked up to and learned a lot about, let's say, when I was younger."

McLaren founded his team in 1963 and entered grand prix racing in 1966. He died while testing a Can-Am car at Goodwood in southern England in 1970.

The McLaren Group is owned by Bahrain's sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat.

Meanwhile Lawson's team-mate Yuki Tsunoda said he was interrogated in his pyjamas for several hours by US border control officials before being let into the country for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

He said he had no issues on his two previous visits this year for races in Austin and Miami.

"Luckily, they let me in after a couple of discussions," he said. "Well, a lot of discussions, actually ... I nearly got sent back home."

Tsunoda said he had been travelling with his physio but had to go through immigration on his own and was then taken to a room for questioning despite having the correct paperwork.

The Las Vegas race comes after a three-week break following a round in Brazil and Tsunoda had flown in ahead of the team for a promotional event.

"I was wearing pyjamas, so maybe I didn't look like an F1 driver," added the 24-year-old.

-Reuters