Tsunoda on his duel with Ricciardo: “The quickest has more chances of going to Red Bull”
With the recent eviction of Nyck de Vries, it is Daniel Ricciardo who is returning to Formula 1 with AlphaTauri. A new teammate for Yuki Tsunoda, perhaps a little tougher than de Vries.
After Pierre Gasly and Nyck de Vries, Yuki Tsunoda will have another different teammate for his third year at AlphaTauri. For the Japanese driver, the arrival of Daniel Ricciardo is a big challenge and could even allow him to further assert himself in Formula 1.
Will the best go to Red Bull?
This is the question that everyone is asking. If Sergio Pérez fails to return to his best level, Red Bull would have Tsunoda or Ricciardo to replace the Mexican. And the AlphaTauri drivers are well aware of that. Even though the probability remains relatively low for now, be mindful of Ricciardo and Tsunoda’s performances that could catch Christian Horner and Helmut Marko’s attention.
« Things will soon be clear, but one of the drivers will be slower and the slower one will not go to Red Bull. It’s simple, the faster one has more chances of going to Red Bull, that’s how it works in Formula 1, that’s all,” Yuki Tsunoda declared before starting his weekend in Hungary alongside his new teammate Daniel Ricciardo.
Yuki Tsunoda more motivated than ever
For the young Japanese Red Bull driver, the arrival of Daniel Ricciardo is an opportunity to show his bosses his true level and progress. If he manages to beat the Australian, Red Bull can seriously start considering his future. The Japanese driver seems ready to fight and for him, Ricciardo’s arrival does not generate any additional pressure. « It’s always a challenge. Ultimately, it doesn’t make much of a difference, Daniel or Nyck, it doesn’t matter. In any case, I have to do the same thing as I was doing with Nyck, you have to beat your teammate, that’s the most important thing » said Tsunoda.
Yuki Tsunoda even believes that this situation can work in his favor, his duel with Nyck de Vries was seen as a sure win for some: « Yes, I think it’s positive, Nyck arrived as a rookie and everyone expected me to beat him » he declared.
« I think it’s a good thing for me, but as you said, it is highly regarded, so if I beat it, everyone will start to recognize me more than the few previous races » pursued the young Japanese.
Finally, Tsunoda knows that beating Daniel Ricciardo will not be an easy task. The Australian driver is an experienced driver and despite his poor experience, especially at McLaren, he will be determined to regain his best form in order to be given a chance at Red Bull.
« But it’s not easy, he’s good, I know he’s good, and once he gains confidence in the car, I’m sure he’ll be as performant as Red Bull. In that case, I can still learn, what he does, why he managed to get good results in the past, I can tell from the data, so I’m looking forward to it,” Yuki Tsunoda concluded.
