Tsunoda: Miami points haul reflects RB ‘crazy progress'

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Sister Red Bull outfit RB doubled in Miami its best weekend points tally in 2024, a productive effort that reflects the team’s “crazy” progress this season insisted Yuki Tsunoda.

On Saturday, Daniel Ricciardo concluded F1’s Sprint event an impressive fourth, which put 5 points in RB’s bag at the outset while Tsunoda collected a solitary point in the short-form race.

But on Sunday, the Japanese driver’s solid run to seventh in the Grand Prix proper added another 6 points to the team’s score, taking its total weekend haul to 12.

Tsunoda’s performance marked his second top-seven result of the season and his third top-ten finish in four races, having initiated his momentum in Melbourne in March.

It’s the 23-year-old’s best start to a campaign in F1 since his promotion to motorsport’s elite in 2021, a strong form that Tsunoda says he owes to his team’s hard work this year.

Read also: F1i's Driver Ratings for the 2024 Miami GP

“The amount of points we got this week was a lot for us,” Tsunoda told the media in Miami.

“It shows how much the people who work in the background [at the] factory, the amount that they're pushing.

“It’s incredible and we’re happy that we're able to score the points that we deserve.”

In Miami, RB’s upgrades on its VCARB 01 included a revised floor and diffuser designed to generate more local load. And by all accounts, the changes were conclusive from the outset.

“We got a bit of upgrades this week and I think that helped a lot,” Tsunoda added. “I mean straight away from FP1 I felt comfortable and [on Saturday] Daniel was P4.

“Over a long stint, we got a P7 and were even faster than one of the Mercedes.

“So [we] never achieved [something] like this [at] the first races, the amount of progress we’re having is crazy.”

Tsunoda’s strong display wasn’t lost on RB team boss Laurent Mekies who underscored the Japanese charger’s consistency this season.

“Yuk’s fourth Q3 appearance out of six races this season underlines how consistently he is performing and today, he underlined his maturity with an intelligent, yet aggressive and super quick drive from tenth on the grid to seventh at the flag,” commented the Frenchman.

“Excellent work!”

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.