At Visa Cash App RB, both their drivers have one goal in mind – to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull. While Daniel Ricciardo may be the top choice for the role, Yuki Tsunoda isn’t too far behind. Speaking to the media, including SpeedCafe, the Japanese driver revealed the one thing Ricciardo has that he wants to become a better driver.
“Daniel [Ricciardo] – he had a thing that I don’t have. For example, that self-control, he’s really good at it, and I think also one of the things that teams value as well, rather than just keep shouting. Giving feedback, he’s much better, because that kind of honesty and self control is really important and he’s really good at it.”, Tsunoda said.
Tsunoda is famous for having a short temper. The latest example of the same came in the first race of the 2024 season itself. The team asked Tsunoda to let Ricciardo pass him for P13, but the Japanese driver did not like the instructions.
He let Ricciardo pass a lap later than asked to and then proceeded to be sarcastic in his comments towards the team. If that wasn’t all, he aggressively passed Ricciardo in the cooldown lap, avoiding collision by only a few inches.
It wasn’t the first time Tsunoda let his emotions get the better of him. During the 2022 Silverstone GP, the 23-year-old was once again overcome with emotions. Losing control of his car, he collided with his then-teammate Pierre Gasly. He then proceeded to say things like “blo*dy f*cking car.”
Helmut Marko did not like the Japanese driver’s reaction and labeled him a ‘problem child.’ Nonetheless, Tsunoda remains a part of the F1 grid owing to his driving skills.
A three-way battle between Daniel Ricciardo, Sergio Perez, and Yuki Tsunoda
Aiming for a heroic return to Red Bull, Daniel Ricciardo claims his immediate focus remains on helping V-CARB. The Australian driver maintains his team’s vision of becoming more competitive and not just being seen as Red Bull’s junior team. Ever since his arrival last year, the team has seen positive growth both on and off the track.
Seemingly out of sorts at one stage, (formerly) AlphaTauri found their way and showed improvements in the latter half of 2023. Top Dogs at Red Bull have taken note of the same and appreciate the Honey Badger for his contribution.
Meanwhile, Tsunoda has been with the team since 2021. Currently, in his fourth season with the team, the Japanese driver is still looking to prove his worth to the team. He has yet to claim a podium finish in his F1 career, having started in 64 Grands Prix so far. At 23, Tsunoda hopes to prove himself as a worthy long-term driver option for Red Bull. However, his temper might get in the way of that.
Currently serving the last year of his contract with the team, Sergio Perez is under the most pressure. Despite taking the challenge to his teammate in the first half of 2023, Perez soon fell behind. It resulted in speculations arising about his future in F1. Given the same, Perez is under threat of getting the axe if he does not deliver on Red Bull’s expectations.
