Tag: Yuki Tsunoda

Ricciardo angered by Tsunoda’s ‘immaturity’ after close call

Daniel Ricciardo was left angry by Yuki Tsunoda’s reaction to team orders that nearly saw the Visa Cash App RB drivers collide after the Bahrain Grand Prix. Tsunoda was unhappy that he had been told to let Ricciardo through late in the race, with …

Daniel Ricciardo was left angry by Yuki Tsunoda’s reaction to team orders that nearly saw the Visa Cash App RB drivers collide after the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Tsunoda was unhappy that he had been told to let Ricciardo through late in the race, with his teammate on soft tires and Kevin Magnussen just ahead of the pair in 12th place. Ricciardo failed to make further progress, but on the cool-down lap Tsunoda locked up heavily overtaking the Australian into Turn 8, and then swerved back onto the circuit, coming extremely close to making contact with Ricciardo.

On team radio immediately after the incident, Ricciardo described Tsunoda as a “[expletive] helmet”, but then said he’d save his criticism.

“I don’t know, I came on the radio and was trying to stay cool,” Ricciardo said afterwards. “A bit of immaturity, let’s say that.”

The 34-year-old says the team had already discussed the potential for him to need to be allowed to pass Tsunoda given their difference in strategies.

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“I’m being very sensible right now, but let’s call it immaturity. He’s obviously frustrated with the team orders call. But let’s be real, this is something we talked about before the race. It was very likely I was going to use a soft at the end of the race.

“So he knew that there was a chance that I would have a pace advantage at the end and if he gets the call, then it’s going to happen.

“He’s not giving me points, we’re fighting for 13th, so at least give us the best chance to get at least one car in the points. It’s a long year and we need to make sure we’re all good, so we’ll go back, have a meeting and be very mature about it, and look forward to Jeddah.”

Ricciardo says he would have given Tsunoda the position back at the end of the race too if asked, given the lack of points on offer, but was frustrated that the Japanese driver hadn’t heeded the team order when it was first given.

“Whether I’m 13th or 14th, I don’t know if any driver cares about that but I don’t,” Ricciardo said. “So if the team said let him back by before the finish line, I would’ve done it because it means nothing to me. Unless we’re in the points, who cares?

“I think if you’re in a points position, if he’s letting me by for ninth, he’s tenth or whatever, then you maybe swap again if I can’t get eighth. But in that situation I guess it didn’t matter. So look, it’s race one of 24. Yes, there was a little bit of conflict today, but I don’t want that to set the tone. I think we talk about it now in the briefing, honestly, and hopefully once he’s calmed down, he can say, ‘OK, yeah, I should’ve moved a lap earlier.’”

Formula 1 driver Yuki Tsunoda predicts blowout Super Bowl win by Christian McCaffrey

Pre Super Bowl challenge: Find a bigger Christian McCaffrey fan than F1 driver Yuki Tsunoda.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3L6wiGvtZ3/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Good luck finding a bigger Christian McCaffrey fan than Formula 1 race car driver Yuki Tsunoda.

The Visa Cash App Red Bull F1 driver in an interview on the NFL’s Instagram answered virtually every question with “Christian McCaffrey,” including a 50-0 final score prediction in favor of McCaffrey and the 49ers. He also said the 49ers’ RB is the player he’d most trust to drive his car.

It’s unlikely his score prediction will come true, but a big day for McCaffrey would give his 49ers win prediction a real chance to come true.

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VCARB 01 breaks cover in Las Vegas

The first car under the new Visa Cash App RB name – the VCARB 01 – has been revealed at a lavish event in Las Vegas. The former AlphaTauri team has been rebranded under the ‘Racing Bulls’ moniker this season, with Visa and Cash App joining forces as …

The first car under the new Visa Cash App RB name – the VCARB 01 – has been revealed at a lavish event in Las Vegas.

The former AlphaTauri team has been rebranded under the ‘Racing Bulls’ moniker this season, with Visa and Cash App joining forces as title partners. Due to Visa’s partnerships with the NFL and the Super Bowl being held in Las Vegas on Sunday, the team launch took place on Thursday night on the iconic Strip.

The VCARB 01 showcases the team’s new identity, that has aspects of the former Toro Rosso colors due to the blue and silver elements, but white and red additions stand out in the design.

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In contrast to Alpine’s launch a day earlier, the team did not offer too much detail in terms of the technical developments made to the car over the winter, although aspects of the all-conquering Red Bull design can be seen in the sidepods. VCARB is taking a number of components from its parent team where permitted in the regulations.

Drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda were joined by the team’s CEO Peter Bayer and new team principal Laurent Mekies who replaced Franz Tost at the end of last season. Also present was the team’s F1 Academy driver Amna Al-Qubaisi, while F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali also made an appearance.

While the team name has not been universally welcomed, Ricciardo says fans are overlooking the importance of sponsors to a team.

“Let me say this, people have to understand one thing,” Ricciardo told RACER. “They say ‘Ah, the name, what is that? Why would you call it that?’ All these things. It’s like, you understand what partners do, right? They pay money, to support the team, to help us go forward, and therefore they can call it whatever they want! Quite frankly, their support is awesome and I love it! So I’m totally fine with the name, I love it. That’s how it works!”

In its former guise of AlphaTauri, the team finished eighth in the constructors’ championship last season, recovering from a slow start that saw it score just five points in the opening 17 rounds to finish strongly and end up with 25 points in total, three adrift of Williams in seventh place.

Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda confirmed for AlphaTauri in 2024

AlphaTauri isn’t making any changes for its 2024 lineup.

Scuderia AlphaTauri’s lineup has gone through some turbulent changes in 2023, but the Formula 1 team officially set its driver pairing for 2024 over the Japanese Grand Prix weekend.

The team announced that Japanese driver [autotag]Yuki Tsunoda[/autotag] and Australian driver [autotag]Daniel Ricciardo[/autotag] will make up their driver lineup for 2024. The two are technically teammates at the moment, but Ricciardo broke his wrist in practice at the Dutch Grand Prix and is currently healing while New Zealand driver Liam Lawson is filling in for him on the grid.

Tsunoda, who was brought to F1 as a part of Red Bull’s driver academy, has spent his entire career at AlphaTauri. He joined the team in 2021. So far, he’s scored 47 career points with the team in 56 race starts — his best finish in F1 came during the infamous 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where he finished fourth.

Ricciardo, meanwhile, has been in a number of seats on the F1 grid. He came back to Red Bull after a previous stint there from 2014-18 in 2023 after leaving McLaren at the end of 2022, and he wasn’t expected to return to the grid this year. He was promoted midseason, however, when AlphaTauri driver Nyck De Vries was released from the team after a string of poor performances. Ricciardo had just two races in 2023 before breaking his wrist, finishing 13th at the Hungarian GP and 16th at the Belgian Grand Prix.

The performance from both drivers in 2024 could have implications for Red Bull’s second seat, which has been discussed more frequently as driver Sergio Perez has not performed to standard so far in 2023.

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AlphaTauri retains Tsunoda and Ricciardo for 2024, Lawson reserve

Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo will be AlphaTauri’s lineup in 2024, leaving no full-time race seat for Liam Lawson. The New Zealander has impressed as a stand-in for the injured Ricciardo since the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, but on Saturday …

Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo will be AlphaTauri’s lineup in 2024, leaving no full-time race seat for Liam Lawson.

The New Zealander has impressed as a stand-in for the injured Ricciardo since the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, but on Saturday morning in Japan it was confirmed by AlphaTauri that Ricciardo will be in the seat in 2024, with Tsunoda also retained. It means a fourth consecutive season for the Japanese driver who has shown strong improvement over the past 12 months.

“I’m so happy to announce that I will be staying with Scuderia AlphaTauri for the 2024 Formula 1 season,” Tsunoda said. “I’m looking forward to continuing to fight and collaborate with the team and Daniel.

“Obviously I’ll push as much as possible for the rest of the season and beyond, to progress as a driver. I’m grateful for Red Bull and Honda, for continuing to support and believe in me, and very happy and thankful to continue the partnership.”

For Ricciardo it’s a show of faith after two encouraging performances prior to his Zandvoort crash, with the Australian currently targeting a return from a broken metacarpal at either the next race in Qatar or in Austin two weeks later.

“I’m stoked to be driving with Yuki again next year and continuing the journey with Scuderia AlphaTauri,” Ricciardo said. “Following the progress we have already made and the plans for the future, it’s an exciting time for the team. We are building and it is a great feeling. There is a lot of work to do, but we are heading in the right direction and there is a lot to look forward to. Bring on 2024!”

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Outgoing AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost believes the combination of Tsunoda and Ricciardo mixes experience with performance that provides the team with a formidable lineup.

“Next year, the technical regulations remain largely unchanged, and it was therefore logical to go for continuity in our driver lineup too,” Tost said. “I am very pleased with the development that Yuki has shown over the last two and a half years with our team, and with Daniel’s great race-winning experience we will have one of the most competitive driver pairings on the grid in 2024.

“Peter (Bayer, CEO) and Laurent (Mekies, new team principal) will have a great duo to start the new season in the right direction. As for Liam, who has impressed everyone in his races so far, he will definitely help the team in his development role as a third driver, and I’m sure he will have a future in Formula 1 soon.”

With Lawson missing out on a race seat despite scoring two points in Singapore on just his third start for the team, Bayer admits picking between the drivers was a good problem for Red Bull and AlphaTauri to have.

“We are in a privileged position, where we have access to multiple great talents from the Red Bull world,” Bayer said. “This is a credit to the work that Dr. Marko has been doing for many years. Both Daniel and Yuki have not just shown fantastic race craft but are also great global ambassadors for our team and our sport. Liam put himself in the spotlight of F1 in only three races and I am very happy that we can continue to prepare him for his future.”

Ricciardo feeling ‘set to attack’ in second half of F1 season

Daniel Ricciardo says he is ready to attack the second part of the Formula 1 season after using the summer break to “feel the way I want to feel” following his recent return with AlphaTauri. Nyck de Vries was dropped after the British Grand Prix, …

Daniel Ricciardo says he is ready to attack the second part of the Formula 1 season after using the summer break to “feel the way I want to feel” following his recent return with AlphaTauri.

Nyck de Vries was dropped after the British Grand Prix, with Red Bull offering Ricciardo a route back onto the grid having taken up a reserve driver role after leaving McLaren. With the races in Hungary and Belgium under his belt before the summer shutdown, Ricciardo says he’s used the past few weeks to get himself into a position where he’s physically prepared for the rest of the year.

“I’m very excited about racing at Zandvoort, mainly to get the second half of the season going,” Ricciardo said. “I only got to do the two races before the break, so even if I enjoyed a bit of time off, I spent most of the past few weeks training and enjoying the chance to keep building up my fitness, to be all set to attack the second half of the season.

“I’ve really enjoyed being back, and the two races with the team have been awesome. Now, I’m very hungry and motivated and feel the way I want to feel. That’s why I’m looking forward to kicking off in Zandvoort, which is a very fast track with an awesome atmosphere.”

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While Ricciardo impressed upon his return, his teammate Yuki Tsunoda once again delivered an eye-catching result with points in the final race before the break, although the Japanese driver is wary of expecting a repeat in Zandvoort.

“I was happy with how the first part of the season ended in Belgium, as it had been a long time since we scored any points,” Tsunoda said. “It meant I could go into the summer break in a positive mood, and I’m carrying that motivation as we start the second half of the season this weekend.

“I also fitted in some time in the simulator earlier this week to prepare for the next two races. We’ve had two races in Zandvoort in the past, and I even made it to Q3 last year, but I’ve never finished, so that’s something I want to put right this weekend.

“I like the track because it’s technical with some unique features, such as the steeply banked corners and the mix of slow and fast turns. It’s physically quite demanding.

“I’m not sure how we will perform here because even if Spa went well, much of that was down to the specific nature of the track and even the weather, while Zandvoort is very different — a medium- to high-downforce circuit — but hopefully we can have another good race there. Because the track is very narrow, our main focus will be on qualifying well, which is something we have struggled with a bit so far this season.”

Tsunoda says de Vries deserved more time in F1

Yuki Tsunoda believes former AlphaTauri teammate Nyck de Vries deserved at least two more races to prove himself before losing his seat. De Vries was dropped from the team after only 10 grands prix to make way for the returning Daniel Ricciardo, who …

Yuki Tsunoda believes former AlphaTauri teammate Nyck de Vries deserved at least two more races to prove himself before losing his seat.

De Vries was dropped from the team after only 10 grands prix to make way for the returning Daniel Ricciardo, who will line up in Faenza colors at this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

Red Bull management had expressed disappointment that de Vries hadn’t been more competitive from the outset given his credentials as a Formula E and Formula 2 champion. Whispers had swirled for weeks that the Dutchman was set to be cut from the team, but Tsunoda said he was shocked that it came so suddenly, with two races still to run before the midseason break.

“There were rumors already,” he said. “I was not really surprised, but still surprised, when I heard. It was quick.

“Just 10 races, especially [at a] couple of tracks he didn’t know — I think he was doing a pretty good job. I can tell from the lap time and how he behaved and everything, he was gradually building up his confidence.

“I know what Red Bull’s side is saying, but at the same time, yeah, I think he deserved at least until the summer break.”

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The Japanese third-year driver has had to take a step forward in performance and consistency this season to see off de Vries so quickly, but he paid credit to his former teammate for adding a deeper level of detail to the way he approaches feedback and development.

“Feedback after the session, to the team, how the car behaves — he’s really specific,” he said. “I’ve never seen like that [from a] driver. I remember how the car behaves but, for example … [he] says the limitations but suggests the options to solve those issues also for the future development,

“What I got impressed by most was [in] last year’s Abu Dhabi test — first time he drove the car — he described how the front wing behaves through the corner, and he was saying almost spot on in entry how much the front wing deflects, through the corner, and that deflection made our car [behave in a certain way]. He kind of gets what the front wing does, and it was spot on. Good feedback, probably he’s like Niki Lauda!

“I can tell why he had such a successful result in the past, which was probably a bit of limitation for me that I have to go a step forward [in]. Nyck was a good example and reference of what I have to do.”

On the other hand, Tsunoda said he was confident that an unchanged approach could successfully deal with new teammate Ricciardo despite the Australian’s more formidable reputation.

“It’s a challenge always,” he said. “In the end it doesn’t make much difference. Daniel or Nyck, whatever. You need to beat your teammate, that’s the most important thing. Daniel is not an easy driver to beat, but at the same time I’ll do what I’m doing the last couple of races.

“I think it’s positive. Nyck came as a rookie and everyone expected me to be at least beating him. That’s the normal thing. If I beat [Ricciardo], everyone starts to recognize more than [from] a couple of previous races.”

Tsunoda eager to benefit from Ricciardo arrival

Yuki Tsunoda believes he will benefit from the arrival of Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri. Ricciardo will make his first start since replacing de Vries this weekend at the Hungarian Grand Prix, marking a remarkable return to the team he last raced …

Yuki Tsunoda believes he will benefit from the arrival of Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri.

Ricciardo will make his first start since replacing de Vries this weekend at the Hungarian Grand Prix, marking a remarkable return to the team he last raced for in 2013. Tsunoda has scored both of AlphaTauri’s points so far this year in a difficult car and has impressed with his progress in his third season in Formula 1, but the Japanese driver says he can learn from the experienced Ricciardo.

“I’m looking forward to working with Daniel,” Tsunoda said. “I can’t say I know him very well, but we had a fun day filming together earlier this year in Miami. I think I’ll benefit from having a very good, experienced driver as a teammate. I’m sure I can learn lots of things from him and I also expect he will be able to bring something to the team and move the car development forward.

“I would also like to say that I had an enjoyable time over the past 10 races with Nyck [de Vries]. I learned from him, and we also had a good time away from the track. He had plenty of experience in other categories and gave the team good feedback based on his knowledge. He had the pace and, as a friend, I enjoyed my time with him.”

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Whoever is driving an AlphaTauri normally has a lot of cars ahead of them in the races, although Tsunoda reckons the Hungaroring is one of the better chances for the team to shine. Jake Grant/Motorsport Images

The struggles that AlphaTauri has faced so far this season adds another aspect to the question of how Ricciardo will fare in his return to Formula 1, but Tsunoda believes the Hungaroring will be a better venue for its car than recent circuits.

“For this weekend, we have more upgrades for the race in Hungary, on top of those we brought to the last race,” he noted. “Budapest has completely different track characteristics compared to the past two races, and its slow-speed corners should suit our car better than the high-speed ones.

“I like the track — it’s technical, challenging and good fun. I have nice memories from my first F1 race there in 2021 as it was very chaotic and I finished sixth, after starting 16th! I’m optimistic — I always treat every race as a new opportunity where anything can happen. As a team, we’re very motivated to go forward and develop the car as much as possible.

“In my mind, I’ve had a complete reset from the last few races, especially Silverstone, and I’m in a positive frame of mind.”

Tsunoda slams ‘ridiculous’ Spanish GP penalty

Yuki Tsunoda believes his penalty in the Spanish Grand Prix was “ridiculous” and “really unfair” after losing out on points for forcing Zhou Guanyu off track, Zhou had tried to overtake Tsunoda around the outside of Turn 1 with 12 laps remaining but …

Yuki Tsunoda believes his penalty in the Spanish Grand Prix was “ridiculous” and “really unfair” after losing out on points for forcing Zhou Guanyu off track,

Zhou had tried to overtake Tsunoda around the outside of Turn 1 with 12 laps remaining but the AlphaTauri driver held on, with Zhou taking to the escape road and protesting he had been forced off. The stewards investigated the incident and handed Tsunoda a five-second time penalty that demoted him from ninth at the checkered flag to 12th, stating that “Car 24 was in front at and after the apex of Turn 1 and hence under the Driving Standards Guidelines was entitled to racing room”.

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In response, Tsunoda said: “It was a ridiculous penalty and it feels really unfair. That’s it.

“I left him room and I feel like he just gave it up in the early stages and went outside. He got caught out and there was still space outside there. I gave pressure but there was still space. I understand why it was a penalty but it feels very harsh.”

Tsunoda himself felt he was also wronged because he wasn’t given the opportunity to argue his case despite the incident occurring late in the race, even though stewards attempt to decide on racing incidents without driver input.

“I didn’t hear those things and I only heard after the checkered flag. I was really happy but after the radio … I was a bit curious if the team actually fight back to not get a penalty. But anyway, I guess they did. But it’s good to have a bit of discussion with the FIA because they gave five seconds without any discussion and then the race is over. It feels unfair.”

From Zhou’s point of view, the Alfa Romeo driver felt he had to take evasive action or the pair would have collided.

“At the end, I knew I had the pace to take Yuki,” Zhou said. “I had DRS, I was half a car ahead going into the corner, but I wasn’t given any space and didn’t have any other choice than to take the escape route to avoid contact.”

Tsunoda helping with clean-up as de Vries gets aid from McLaren amid floods

Yuki Tsunoda has been out on the streets of Faenza clearing debris and mud, while his AlphaTauri teammate Nyck de Vries was helped out by McLaren team members when he got stranded by floods. AlphaTauri’s home town has been heavily hit by the …

Yuki Tsunoda has been out on the streets of Faenza clearing debris and mud, while his AlphaTauri teammate Nyck de Vries was helped out by McLaren team members when he got stranded by floods.

AlphaTauri’s home town has been heavily hit by the flooding that led to the cancellation of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, with some team members needing to evacuate their homes on Tuesday night and sleep at the factory. As the water levels start to subside, huge amounts of damage is being left behind and Tsunoda has been shoveling mud off the streets alongside other team members and residents.

That comes after de Vries described how he was one of those stuck due to the floods on Tuesday night, leading to McLaren helping him secure a place to sleep.

“Tuesday evening, 11:30pm, (I was) on my way to Faenza ahead of a marketing day at the SAT factory on Wednesday,” de Vries related. “It’s raining intense, Faenza is already flooded and I am unable to get to my hotel. Returning to the highway is no option either. Stuck in a little village with one fully booked hotel.

“Fortunately, McLaren got stranded there earlier and their front jack Frazer was kind enough to give me his room. The following morning, the hotel lobby turned into an emergency shelter for people who were forced to escape their homes during the night.

“Post-F1 announcement, I only saw one potential option to get home, which was driving via Firenze. After an adventurous drive through the mountains, thanks to the help from local people and authorities in different villages, I finally got home safely.

“Thank you to every single person who has been kind enough to help me. It was truly heartwarming to see so many look out for each other. My thoughts are with those who continue to be affected by this tragedy. I’ll be back soon in Faenza to meet my team and the people from the region! Forza.”

The Imola circuit only permitted limited numbers of personnel to access the venue late on Thursday to start de-rigging and assessing any damage to equipment ahead of next weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix.

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