Yuki Tsunoda, big points for RB… and for Red Bull?

In Australia, Yuki tsunoda arrived in hostile territory. On the land of his (popular) teammate Daniel Ricciardo, the Japanese was discreet, but efficient. No excess anger, no excessive annoyance: the performances spoke for themselves. When the Australian was eliminated in Q1, in a sad 18th place, he entered Q3 with a good 8th place, ahead of the Aston Martin. First set: Tsunoda.

In the race, the same observation: if Daniel Ricciardo was invisible in Melbourne, vegetating at the bottom of the ranking without ever being able to move up and finishing in a flattering 12th place thanks to retirements and long pit stops for the Saubers, Yuki Tsunoda had the strong back in the middle of the pack to maintain his 8th place until the checkered flag. An 8th place transformed into 7th place after the penalty imposed on Fernando Alonso. Enough to bring six precious points to Faenza. Second set: Tsunoda.

“Finally, a place in the top 10, the team really deserves it and I’m very happy, rejoiced the Japanese pilot. We were very consistent throughout the weekend and the car performed well straight away. We just had to put it all together and run a clean race to score points in this tight field, and we were able to do that today. We didn't make any mistakes and it's important for the team and for me to have this confidence before the next races. »

Tsunoda is set for 2025…

After two laborious weekends in Bahrain and Jaddah – which he still describes as “frustrating” – Yuki Tsunoda was finally able to exploit the full potential of the VCARB-01 at Albert Park. If he highlights the progress of his team over the races, he also knows that he is taking control within the team against a struggling Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian seems to have no answer to his lack of performance and to the Japanese's emerging domination. Two weeks before his national Grand Prix, Yuki Tsunoda already has the opportunity to deal a fatal blow to his teammate.

“This weekend is a great way to approach Japan, especially with this result on the line, he confided. I challenged myself every week and our car was very consistent, which is different from last year, so that's a strength. As for me, I'm learning from previous races and focusing on what I can do best to help the team. Now it's time for us to analyze, reset and push to Japan again! »

Already put under pressure by the clan leadership Red Bull, in particular by the uncompromising Helmut Marko, Daniel Ricciardo could already see his days numbered if his performances do not improve. Yuki Tsunoda, himself, is in the process of crossing his teammate's name off the list of contenders for the second Red Bull seat for 2025. And placing himself, perhaps, at the top of this same list...

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