F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Tsunoda challenged by 'fast' Ricciardo but 'ready to fight'

Yuki Tsunoda says Daniel Ricciardo's arrival at AlphaTauri last month has forced him to raise his game, but the Japanese charger is ready for the challenge that his new situation has delivered.

Tsunoda had little trouble outpacing Ricciardo's predecessor, rookie Nyck de Vries during the first part of the season given the Dutchman's struggles.

The latter was eventually replaced by Ricciardo who returned to the fray after seven months away from the sport, save for his development work with Red Bull as the Milton Keynes-based outfit's third driver.

Taking stock of his first two races alongside his new teammate at AlphaTauri, Tsunoda admitted to be facing a challenge.

The 23-year-old feels he's up against a very fast driver who is also the opposite of himself in terms of their respective personalities and behavior within the team. .

Read also:

"It's challenging. But at the same time, I know that this current situation is completely new for me," he said at Spa last weekend.

"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.

"I already know he is fast but also how he's behaving in the team is like probably the opposite as me," said Tsunoda. "So, lots of things to learn, a lot from him."

©AlphaTauri

Tsunoda candidly acknowledged that the extra pressure induced by his situation had led to a few mistakes in Hungary and in Spa, although his delivered a solid drive in Belgium that yielded a P10 finish.

"It's also a bit of pressure for myself and probably that made me rush, and a couple of mistakes in the last couple of races," he added.

"But I was able to put it all together in the last race. It was not easy. But just happy and feeling ready for a fight with him in the second half of the season."

©AlphaTauri

So far this season, Tsunoda has scored points in only three races. Yet he believes that overall, he's performing more consistently than last year.

"Consistency was key, and especially last year, so I was able to improve. In the first races, I was happy, I knew why," he said.

"I was slightly [in] a bit of comfort zone, and I had kind of a rhythm. After Barcelona, there were two races that I lost the points in an unfortunate way.

"Since then, I started to lose the rhythm. I recognise the amount I have to improve still.

"[Spa was] back to the same shape, or similar shape, I had in the beginning of season. So really happy and just keep improving."

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

Recent Posts

Sebastian Montoya steps up to Formula 2 with Prema

Sebastian Montoya, the 19-year-old son of former Formula 1 star Juan Pablo Montoya, is set…

9 hours ago

Sauber finds its ‘Northern Star’ under Binotto’s leadership

When former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto took on the role of Chief Operating Officer…

11 hours ago

Leclerc hails a season ‘without missed opportunities' in 2024

Charles Leclerc concluded the 2024 F1 season with a sense of satisfaction, the Ferrari driver…

12 hours ago

Coulthard sounds alarm over FIA president’s rift with F1 drivers

Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard has voiced his dismay at FIA president Mohammed Ben…

14 hours ago

The rapid rise and fall of Super Aguri in F1

Super Aguri's application to join Formula 1 became a reality on this day in 2005,…

15 hours ago

Ferrari's 2024 Season: Marked improvement and a fight to the finish

Ferrari roared back into contention in 2024 to deliver their strongest season in years, thanks…

16 hours ago