Yuki Tsunoda Keeping a Close Eye on Daniel Ricciardo ‘Goodness’ and ‘Badness’ With the Ultimate Payoff on the Line

With Max Verstappen’s outstanding performance, Red Bull is currently on top of the table and won both championships. Nonetheless, the final five races are still very critical for the Austrian team to know some other aspects. This follows Sergio Perez’s unexpected drop in performance, which prompted the squad to consider an alternative. There are a few contenders for the 2nd seat, with both Alpha Tauri drivers having similar aspirations and being in strong competition to replace Checo. After Daniel Ricciardo’s debut with Alpha Tauri, things under the Red Bull umbrella began to heat up. Given Yuki Tsunoda’s strong performance with the Faenza-based team and the recent arrival of Ricciardo, whose ultimate objective is to earn a Red Bull seat, things have become rather competitive.

To put things into perspective, Yuki Tsunoda made a strong statement about obtaining a seat at Red Bull. He stated that the faster guy has a better chance of going to Red Bull since that is how Formula One works. The Japanese driver indirectly endorsed Red Bull’s approach of putting performance first. He emphasized that the major criterion for either him or the Honey Badger for getting the coveted seat will certainly be performance. Even though he is in contention with Ricciardo, Tsunoda still tries to learn from the Honey Badger’s positive character.

Yuki Tsunoda’s insights into valuable lessons learned from Daniel Ricciardo’s character

Yuki Tsunoda was recently found in an interview with Racefans detailing specific lessons he acquired during his brief time with Ricciardo. Starting with demeanor, Yuki Tsunoda says he loves how Ricciardo interacts with the team even when things aren’t going well. This gradually makes the team feel more confident and happy, which improves effectiveness and helps to change the team’s sorrowful mood.

Aside from that, the Japanese driver emphasized how the Australian normally maintains cool during his radio call, which is in stark contrast to the 23-year-old’s personality.

Following that, Tsunoda, who has shared the garage with two incredible drivers, Ricciardo and Pierre Gasly, highlights the parallels and differences in their approaches. While the Alpha Tauri driver initially stated that the environment was similar for both of his teammates, with both Gasly and Ricciardo eager to have fun, there were significant distinctions.

Regarding Daniel Ricciardo, Tsunoda stated that he has learned a lot from the Honey Badger, whose goodness has always been apparent to all. However, he is picking up on the badness of Ricciardo. He said, ” His goodness, obviously from the outside, and his ‘badness’ as well. But also I’m learning different things from Daniel from that goodness of him.” Though it was expected that Sergio Perez would be put under a bit more stress with Ricciardo’s arrival, Yuki was the first to feel the heat.

Difficulties Yuki Tsunoda has faced since Daniel Ricciardo’s arrival

Daniel Ricciardo finished P16 in Spa after finishing P13 in his first race in Hungary; however, the way he drove the vehicle made him look strong. This undoubtedly put Yuki Tsunoda in “trouble,” according to Marc Priestley. In his words at the BBC Chequered Flag podcast, the former McLaren mechanic said,  “I actually personally think that he’s in a bit of trouble here.”

Yuki Tsunoda on having Daniel Ricciardo as a teammate:

“I’m learning a lot, especially getting challenged by an experienced driver. And not only is he an experienced driver, he’s a top driver and we know that he’s fast.”

“It’s also a bit of pressure for myself and probably that… pic.twitter.com/ZUDVc87E1d

— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) August 3, 2023

Following that, he claimed that Ricciardo’s 16th-place finish in Spa was due to him being hit in a flood of vehicles during qualifying and committing a mistake by stepping beyond track limits. Furthermore, he believes that if they are both placed in the same vehicle on an empty track, Daniel Ricciardo will routinely win. This is because the car matched the honey badger’s driving style more than Tsunoda’s.

New drivers frequently compete with experienced drivers. This was evident when the squad gravitated toward Ricciardo in just two races. It’s because he has race-winning experience, which could benefit the team in the long run. Whereas Yuki Tsunoda’s future with the Red Bull could be jeopardized due to his lack of experience.