Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda will be teammates at Visa Cash App RB F1 team, as the Faenza-based outfit (formerly known as AlphaTauri) enters a brand-new era. It is a crucial season for both drivers, looking to prove their worth, and former F1 manager Peter Windsor believes that either one of them can have their career destroyed come the end of the campaign.
BREAKING: Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo will race for @AlphaTauriF1 in 2024!#F1 pic.twitter.com/HVUGyZO0Qy
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 23, 2023
In a conversation with Cameron F1, on YouTube, Windsor admitted that he is excited to watch the battle between Ricciardo and Tsunoda this season. He expects the Red Bull-owned sister team to have a good car, which should play to both drivers’ advantage.
“If Yuki doesn’t blow Daniel away, I’d say his career is probably gone. Equally, if Daniel doesn’t blow Yuki away, his career is probably gone”, said Windsor.
This was an ominous prediction from Windsor, but one that has a lot of substance. He had reasons to feel that Visa Cash App RB will be strong this year, and it just doesn’t have to do with Red Bull playing a bigger role. The Faenza-based team has world-class facilities, and they showed real progress towards the end of the 2023 season.
For Tsunoda and Ricciardo, however, crunch time is on. They have to get the better of each other, to show Red Bull that they deserve to stay in F1.
Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda to battle for Red Bull promotion
Ricciardo made his return to the team midway into 2023, after Nyck de Vries was sacked. He settled in well, impressed the higher-ups, and earned a contract for the upcoming season. However, his aim is not to drive at V-CARB for long. Instead, he is eying the Red Bull seat, which belongs to Sergio Perez for now.
Tsunoda on the other hand is comfortable in the setup, being in the team for three years now. As a result, he too, seems to be a candidate for the Red Bull seat.
On the other hand, if they are too dismal, Red Bull will likely put other drivers in V-CARB in their place. There is a plethora of young talents in the vicinity at the moment, which should have both Ricciardo and Tsunoda wary.