Trouble seems to be the only constant in the Red Bull setup in 2024. If it isn’t the main team, then their junior team makes headlines over an intra-team issue. Much of it has to do with the Visa Cash App RB team’s drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda. The two are engrossed in a fierce battle to fight for a Red Bull seat, with flashes of heated battles emerging on tracks. However, much to the delight of the team, both drivers recently went out together to grab a bit to eat in Japan.
X user Meredith provided an update where Ricciardo talked about the build-up to the Japanese GP. Having spent some time in Perth, Ricciardo got some much-needed time to “reset” himself. He then revealed that he went to Tokyo to have some Wagyu alongside Yuki Tsunoda. The update comes as happy information to all those working with V-CARB, as there is a chance of parity returning between the drivers.
Tensions surfaced between both drivers right after the first race of the season. Ricciardo and Tsunoda were embroiled in a heated battle with Kevin Magnussen for P12. Team orders asked Tsunoda to let Ricciardo pass, which the Japanese driver did not love. Unable to capitalize on the advantage, Ricciardo also failed to hand Tsunoda his position back. It led to Tsunoda losing control of his emotions in the cooldown lap. He zoomed past Ricciardo, avoiding colliding with his teammate by a few inches.
It led to a private hearing between the drivers and the top execs. Helmut Marko claimed the matter could have been avoided after the race. About a month later, GPFans reported an update that Tsunoda had unfollowed Ricciardo on Instagram. A fan had spotted the development and posted the same in a now-deleted post.
Daniel Ricciardo addressed the post-chequered flag squabble with Tsunoda
As soon as Tsunoda zoomed past Ricciardo in Bahrain, the Honey Badger lost his calm for a few seconds. He started shouting on the radio to his race engineer. Ricciardo said, “F*CK! What the f*ck? I’ll save it. F*cking helmet.” Speaking to the F1 media after the race, Ricciardo referred to the incident as a bit of immaturity.
Claiming to be very sentimental at the moment, but he once again called his teammate’s actions immature. Ricciardo understood his team teammates frustration but added it was something they talked about before each race. The strategy called for Ricciardo to be faster in the final stint, so Tsunoda knew his teammate had to make the push.
Neither driver was fighting for points given they were P14 and P13. However, it might have been a matter of pride for the Japanese driver. Ricciardo was on the sidelines for half of last year, but he still became a solid contender to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull next season. Meanwhile, Tsunoda has been with V-CARB for four seasons and is yet to become a part of the Red Bull conversation. Hence, growing frustrations between the two drivers seem rather understandable.
