BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN – MARCH 01: Yuki Tsunoda from Japan and Visa Cash App RB watches in the pit during the qualifying ahead of the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit on March 01, 2024 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)
During the latter part of the race in Sakihir, Tsunoda found himself far back in the standings when he received a message from the pit wall instructing him to let Ricciardo pass. The Japanese driver expressed his dissatisfaction over the radio before reluctantly allowing his Australian teammate to overtake him.
After the race, Tsunoda displayed his frustration by nearly colliding with Ricciardo’s car. This incident was less than ideal for VCARB team principal Laurent Mekies, suggesting that he failed to properly communicate engagement rules to his drivers.
Clearly remorseful, Tsunoda was apologetic during the F1 drivers’ press conference in Jeddah on Wednesday. He faced tough questions from the media panel and explained that he discussed the situation with the entire team after the race. They have since reached a unified understanding and are now on the same page.
When asked if team orders were the cause of his frustration, Tsunoda admitted they played a role. However, he also acknowledged that he now understands the reasoning behind them. Despite the challenges faced during the race, Tsunoda accepts the team’s decision and believes it was necessary.
The questions kept coming and Tsunoda was asked if he would follow the team’s orders again in the future. He replied categorically: “Yes, 100%. I believe we had different strategies compared to Daniel. He had new Soft tires, while I was struggling with Kevin. So, he had more open space and a better pace. The team probably thought that Daniel had a better chance of overtaking Kevin, so they asked me to switch positions.”
“I experienced intense moments of mental activity. However, in the end, I allowed him to overtake me, maybe a lap or half a lap later. So, that was the deciding factor. The team believed they had a better chance, and I respect their decision,” explained the 23-year-old Japanese driver.
VCARB continues to serve as the junior team of Red Bull, offering opportunities for young talents to progress to the main team alongside Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. Therefore, Ricciardo or Tsunoda are the main candidates for a spot with the World Champions in case of departure or unavailability of their current drivers.
Ricciardo openly acknowledges that his time at VCARB is just a temporary arrangement until he can partner with Verstappen again. However, the Australian driver is just a shadow of what he once was, with his peak years from 2014 to 2016 already behind him. Max will undoubtedly surpass him.
Another contender, if Red Bull chooses between their drivers, is Tsunoda. However, his temperament is still questionable, as he enters his fourth season in top-level motorsport. It should be questioned why Red Bull would consider hiring a driver who struggles to control his emotions.
When asked about this, Tsunoda replied: “Yes, for sure. It’s an aspect I need to improve on. If I repeat these mistakes, it will certainly lead to more problems. I am aware that this is an area I should focus on mainly to improve. I am working on it and I am confident that I will make progress. It will take more than just one step, but I believe I can demonstrate my skills. Whether they choose to have me on the team or not, it’s up to them. But my main focus is to develop better self-control. Also, I have great confidence in my abilities and continue to seek improvements.”
In terms of learning from veteran Ricciardo, Tsunoda believes: “It’s still a learning process and maybe what I showed on Sunday was the opposite, or on Saturday, sorry. But I constantly remind myself before getting into the car, ‘don’t press the radio button’, but also other things.
“I think they also like to highlight me, to be honest, in those radio messages. Yes, I don’t shout as it seems on TV. I don’t know, the more I talk, the worse it gets. So, I will just say that I will do my best to improve. And you will see that on the track from these races onwards,” Tsunoda promised.
Having only worked under Franz Tost’s command in the past as an F1 driver, Tsunoda explained the difference with the new VCARB boss, Mekies, in charge: “We have a very good relationship and he is already helping a lot with things to improve our team.
“Obviously, there are some similarities between Franz and Laurent, in the sense that both genuinely care about each individual in the team and I believe that everyone’s opinions matter. He tries to incorporate all of that and provide the best possible response. So, there are similarities.
“Na verdade, não achei difícil me adaptar a ele ou algo assim. Imediatamente tivemos um bom relacionamento e acho que toda a equipe está indo na direção certa e no clima certo”.
“E sim, definitivamente não é um trabalho fácil agora”, lamentou Tsunoda. “Reunir todos, garantir que todos se sintam confortáveis, porque muitas pessoas novas estão se juntando. Mas até agora, pelo que vi na equipe, todos parecem felizes e muito relaxados, confortáveis trabalhando juntos”.
Em conclusão, Tsunoda acrescentou: “Laurent [Mekies] veio direto para o meu quarto depois da corrida. E tivemos uma discussão bastante longa sobre isso. Principalmente entendendo a perspectiva de cada pessoa, o lado dele e o meu lado. E sim, ele definitivamente me deixou muito mais calmo durante a corrida.
“Ele definitivamente me ajudou a seguir na direção certa. E agora me sinto renovado e, sim, apenas seguir em frente a partir daí. Então, sim, ele é meio assim, é um pouco parecido com o Franz, sabe, se a mesma coisa acontecer, o Franz virá direto para o meu quarto imediatamente. Então, sim, me sentindo bem”, concluiu Tsunoda.
Caso uma vaga fique disponível na equipe Red Bull, Ricciardo ou Tsunoda serão escolhidos, apesar de nenhum deles realmente alcançar o nível que Verstappen consistentemente estabelece e supera quase todos os fins de semana. Nem o piloto da VCARB, com base em seu desempenho atual, será capaz de igualar Perez, quanto mais Verstappen.
Após um Grande Prêmio nesta temporada, as estatísticas da StatsF1 mostram que Tsunoda lidera Ricciardo por 1-0 na classificação, enquanto a pontuação da corrida para o Bahrain está excluída por ter sido manipulada. Se a VCARB tivesse permitido que a corrida se desenrolasse, Yuki provavelmente teria vencido Dan. (Citações de Agnes Carlier em Jeddah)
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