After the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix, the discussion revolved around the incident between VisaCashRB and Yuki Tsunoda. The disagreement between them on the team radio during and after the race sparked controversy in Bahrain. Daniel Ricciardo expressed his strong opinions on the incident and did not spare criticism of Tsunoda for his immaturity.
During the Grand Prix, Tsunoda maintained a significant advantage over Ricciardo and also engaged in battles with other drivers to earn points. However, towards the end of the race, the situation changed when Tsunoda was instructed to let Ricciardo pass. The young driver was unhappy with the team orders and made sarcastic comments.
Although RB’s performance was not as expected, a result within the top ten was still possible. Tsunoda overtook Ricciardo during the deceleration lap, bringing the two VCBAR 01 cars closer together than desired. This greatly frustrated the Australian driver. Despite his frustration, Ricciardo tried to remain calm and addressed the issue after the race.
At the Bahrain Grand Prix, RB teammates had a close encounter after crossing the finish line. Tsunoda, while overtaking Ricciardo during the deceleration lap, came dangerously close to touching his teammate. This triggered a strong reaction from the Australian driver, who expressed his frustration on the team radio.
After the images of the incident were released, Tsunoda decided to clarify the situation. While chasing the Haas car in 12th place, Tsunoda was instructed to swap positions with Ricciardo, leading to a team order dispute between the two drivers in the first race of the 2024 Formula 1 season. Internal footage from Tsunoda’s car showed him overtaking Ricciardo on the deceleration lap, locking up during a turn, and aggressively accelerating past the Australian driver. The RB cars were only a few inches apart.
According to Tsunoda, he was not as close to Ricciardo as it may have seemed. He also expressed confusion about the team’s decision to swap drivers in the final laps. Tsunoda believed he was close enough to overtake Magnussen, but the team’s decision prevented him from doing so. On the other hand, Ricciardo, after the swap, was supposed to take Magnussen’s position, but failed to do so, increasing the frustration of the Japanese driver.
