The last twelve months have been hectic for Daniel Ricciardo, perhaps more than any other F1 driver. As part of the Red Bull driver set-up, the Australian is consistently at the centre of speculation. With Sergio Perez’s future in doubt, question marks will continue to follow Ricciardo in 2024. Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda will remain the 34-year-old’s primary reference, with Ricciardo recognising his pace.
Ricciardo: Tsunoda was already strong in 2022
Although Ricciardo’s likeable and outgoing personality receives plenty of attention, his ambition and capacity for introspection should not be overlooked.
It is not by accident that eight race victories and dozens of F1 podiums are to his name.
After a difficult start to the year, Ricciardo is making steady progress with VCARB. He is successfully avoiding the vicious cycle that plagued him at McLaren, with performances improving since the opening rounds.
Of course, this does not mean life is easy for Ricciardo at VCARB. Putting aside Red Bull’s uniquely volatile driver landscape, he is facing a very formidable teammate in Yuki Tsunoda.
The 34-year-old has made some interesting comments about Tsunoda’s progression in F1:
“Probably a lot of people still think about his first year where he made a lot of mistakes,” he told motorsport.com.
“And it felt like his adjustment into Formula 1, it just felt like maybe he couldn’t really adjust, and it was all a bit too much.
“[In 2021 and 2022] Gasly was consistently beating him.
“But then I remember the second half of that year [2022], he actually started to probably have a better showing than Gasly.
“He’s definitely grown a lot in the last couple of years. So yes, he’s fast.
“Do I rate him? I do. He’s probably become a bit more aware of his attitude as well.
“I think he’s doing a really good job.”
An intense few months await the VCARB duo
Ricciardo’s comments are certainly perceptive, representing a clear difference from the common narrative around Tsunoda – which focuses on 2023 as his breakout season.
The Japanese driver is driving at a very high level and, by extension, is likely a far more challenging teammate than many (including senior figures at Red Bull) anticipated.
Because of this and many other factors, the remainder of 2024 will be extremely intense for both VCARB drivers.
Despite both showing clear speed in this year’s campaign, there is no telling what direction the reigning Champions will pursue.
