Daniel Ricciardo has offered a thoughtful assessment of his Visa Cash App RB teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, shedding light on why the Japanese driver, despite his solid performances this season, has yet to be seriously considered for a promotion to Red Bull Racing.
Tsunoda has silenced many of his doubters this season, his fourth in F1, as he’s played a significant role in lifting his team to sixth place in the Constructors' Championship, while outscoring Ricciardo by 10 points after 14 races.
And yet Red Bull always showed a preference for other drivers, such as Ricciardo himself and reserve driver Liam Lawson, as potential candidates to replace Sergio Perez when the Mexican’s future was in jeopardy ahead of F1’s summer break.
Nevertheless, Ricciardo acknowledges that Tsunoda’s growth and achievements this season are slowly but surely clearing the lingering doubts from his first years in Formula 1.
“I think now he’s definitely getting probably the credit that he deserves,” Ricciardo told Motorsport.com
“Probably a lot of people still think about his first year where he made a lot of mistakes, and it felt like his adjustment into Formula 1, it just felt like maybe he couldn’t really adjust and it was all a bit too much.
Tsunoda's early years in F1 were marked by a steep learning curve, with former teammate Pierre Gasly consistently outpacing him during their time together.
However, Ricciardo points out that Tsunoda began to close the gap, particularly in the second half of their time as teammates.
“[In 2021 and 2022, Pierre] Gasly was consistently beating him, but then I remember the second half of that year, he actually started to probably have a better showing than Gasly.”
Over the past couple of seasons, Tsunoda has shown significant improvement, both in terms of pace and maturity.
“He’s definitely grown a lot in the last couple of years. So yes, he’s fast,” conceded Ricciardo.
“Do I rate him? I do. He’s probably become a bit more aware of his attitude as well. I think he’s doing a really good job.”
While Tsunoda personally believes that he's ready to step up to Red Bull Racing and take on the massive pressure that comes with being Max Verstappen’s teammate, both Helmut Marko and team boss Christian Horner still appear opposed to such a scenario.
This inevitably frustrates Tsunoda, but Red Bull's history with Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, who both struggled alongside Verstappen, suggests that a pattern of caution is justified.
Interestingly, Ricciardo compares Tsunoda's situation to Lando Norris, his former teammate at McLaren, whom he suggests faltered under the weight of expectation when battling for the win in 2021.
“I think [Tsunoda has] grown a lot in the last few years, and I think he’s showing some really good pace and skill,” the Aussie added. “I think he’s showing more consistency now.
“You just don’t know what happens when it’s the next [level], and I even look back at Lando in Monza. I won, he was second. The next race he was on pole, he was leading.
“In that moment the experience and the composure of Lewis [Hamilton] won him that race and lost Lando the race. Maybe three years ago, that was maybe a little bit too much for Lando.”
This comparison underscores the uncertainty surrounding how a driver like Tsunoda would perform under the spotlight of being a frontrunner in Formula 1.
“What I’m saying is you just don’t know until you’re in that position if someone can really do it.
“We’ve all got the speed, but it’s like when the lights are fully turned up, who can still make those decisions and stay most composed.
“Yuki has to answer that in due time, but my answer is definitely not no. I do think he’s got the ability, but that part is up to him.”
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