Yuki Tsunoda talks about Daniel Ricciardo’s return to F1
For the past two races, Yuki Tsunoda has been teaming up with Daniel Ricciardo. An experienced driver who could compete with the Japanese driver. While the Australian driver could help him improve, the pressure is there.
The Honey badger is back full time. The Australian driver has once again secured a seat as a regular driver since the Hungarian Grand Prix. From his first qualifying session, he was in the rhythm. In Belgium, things were more difficult as he had to start from the back of the grid. His best lap time was cancelled for exceeding track limits.
If the media is focused on Daniel Ricciardo’s return, the leader of AlphaTauri remains Yuki Tsunoda. The Japanese driver brought one point to his team at Spa. He was well ahead of his new teammate. Although the Australian is slightly behind, he has a lot of experience and can help the number 22 driver improve.
Two different ways of working
« Obviously, it’s tough, quite tough and stimulating, but at the same time I know that this current situation is completely new for me, and I’m learning a lot, especially the challenge of an experienced pilot, and this experienced driver isn’t like a normal experienced pilot, he’s a high-level driver », declared the Japanese.
« We know that he is fast, and I already know that he is fast, but also his way of behaving in the team is probably very opposite to mine, so there is a lot to learn from him. »
Under pressure
Yuki Tsunoda tempers his statements and assures that the arrival of Daniel Ricciardo puts pressure on him. If the latter were to achieve better races, the Japanese driver’s seat could then be threatened. This has therefore pushed him to his limits, sometimes driving beyond his own limits.
« It’s also a bit of pressure for me and probably this kind of rushed feeling has caused a few mistakes in the last two races », revealed Yuki Tsunoda.
