Daniel Ricciardo reckons that his RB team-mate Yuki Tsunoda has the ability to succeed in Formula 1, and believes the Japanese driver simply needs to prove he can execute when winning opportunities come his way.
Tsunoda has proven himself as RB’s de facto team leader over 2024, his fourth season in F1, but has been overlooked by Red Bull’s management as it considered Liam Lawson and Ricciardo as options to replace Sergio Perez at the lead operation.
Regardless, he has matured over the past two seasons and has subsequently delivered strong results for the AlphaTauri/RB squad despite 2023’s struggles with uncompetitive machinery.
Ricciardo now believes that Tsunoda is being looked upon much more favourably, noting his growing maturity and consistency over their year as team-mates.
“I think now he’s definitely getting probably the credit that he deserves,” Ricciardo stated in an exclusive interview with 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.
“[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.
“He’s definitely grown a lot in the last couple of years. So yes, he’s fast. 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.”
Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
Discussing Tsunoda’s prospects of delivering in the event that he ends up in a position with front-running machinery, Ricciardo felt that it was difficult to show that in advance – but reckoned that Tsunoda just needed to make the most of his ability.
The Australian compared that with Lando Norris’ attempts to win in 2021 and suggested the Briton did not have the experience to make it work out back then.
“I think [Tsunoda has] grown a lot in the last few years, and I think is showing some really good pace and skill,” he 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…
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