Ricciardo foreshadows next step for teammate: 'He has that'
F1 News
Daniel Ricciardo is now competing in his fourteenth season in Formula One. The experienced driver believes his current teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, is about to be ready to take the next step in his career, and compared him to one of his former teammates.
After Visa Cash App RB CEO Peter Bayer declared that Yuki Tsunoda is a serious contender for a seat at the Red Bull Racing, Daniel Ricciardo has also voiced his support for the Japanese driver. "I think [he has] grown a lot in the last few years, and I think is showing some really good pace and skill," the Australian praised his current teammate to Motorsport.com.
Ricciardo compares Tsunoda to Norris' situation
In the 2024 season, Yuki Tsunoda has managed to outscore Ricciardo after 14 Grands Prix. He currently has 22 points in the standings and finished in the points eight times so far, while the Australian has 12 points to his name. Ricciardo also believes that making that next step is never easy, and compared Tsunoda's situation to Lando Norris' back when Ricciardo competed for McLaren together with the British driver.
"You just don't know what happens when it's the next [level], and I even look back at Lando in Monza. I won, he was second. The next race he was on pole, he was leading. In that moment the experience and the composure of Lewis [Hamilton] won him that race and lost Lando the race. Maybe three years ago, that was maybe a little bit too much for Lando," the eight-time Grand Prix winner explained. Since then, Norris has successfully won the 2024 Miami Grand Prix, and is second in the championship behind Max Verstappen.
"What I'm saying is you just don't know until you're in that position if someone can really do it. Yuki has to answer that in due time, but my answer is definitely not no. I do think he's got the ability, but that part is up to him," the driver from Perth concluded. For now, Tsunoda has a contract at VCARB, after receiving an extension during the Canadian GP weekend.