The United States is known for having strict border control, often requiring travelers to provide detailed documents and proof of their purpose for visiting.

This strict approach caused issues for Yuki Tsunoda when he arrived to the country for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Despite already racing in Miami and Austin earlier this season, the Japanese revealed he was almost denied entry because he couldn’t convince them for hours that he was a Formula 1 driver.

"Luckily, they let me in after a couple of discussions," he said quoted by RacingNews365.

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

Tsunoda arrived in the U.S. early to take part in promotional activities with Max Verstappen, including the chance to drive an IndyCar but the hold on the border still "felt a bit strange" given his frequent trips to the country and his valid visa.

"I did the visas and everything. It's been the same the last three tracks, right? I was able to enter smoothly at the previous track [Circuit of the Americas]," he explained.

"Felt a bit strange that I got stopped and had a proper discussion. Luckily, it didn't go on for more than two or three hours.

"It's not the first time we've come here this year. I heard a lot of things, but hopefully that is all well in the future - and smoothly."

"There was my physio I travel with, but when you go through customs, you go individually.

"He [the border control agent] put me in a room and we had a conversation."

Tsunoda was traveling without his F1 team, accompanied only by his physio. This made it harder to prove his identity and get the support he needed. Hoping for assistance, he asked if his physio could step in to explain that he was a Formula 1 driver, but the officials refused. They also denied his requests to contact his team or anyone from Formula 1, leaving him to handle the situation on his own.

When questioned whether border control doubted he was an F1 driver, he responded: "Maybe. I was wearing pyjamas, so maybe I didn't look like an F1 driver."

But then added: "I'm sure he [the customs officer] knew it.

"Having the conversation, he even asked me the salary and everything. 

"[It's an] uncomfortable thing; it 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 trouble. Hopefully, all things [are] solved. Luckily, I went through smoothly [in the end]."

His team RB will run a glittering livery for the whole weekend, with Tsunoda and his teammate Lawson also set to wear custom race suits matching the look.