No Love For Yuki
What does Yuki Tsunoda need to do?
It’s a question that can be asked more seriously now than at any other point in Tsunoda’s still-young Formula 1 career. For the past two years, he’s been a reliable driver who can bring home points in a lower midfield car.
In race weekends they both contested in 2023, Tsunoda outscored Daniel Ricciardo, who has been far more widely tipped to land the “prize” than any other driver save Carlos Sainz. So far in 2024, he has nearly tripled his teammates’ point total.
A common refrain echoes around the sagging, overburdened walls of F1 internet discourse:
“If Ricciardo was performing like Tsunoda, he’d be a shoe-in for the Red Bull seat.”
I don’t believe that BUT I do believe that if Ricciardo was performing to Tsunoda’s level consistently, the dialogue would much more openly connect him to the second Red Bull seat than has ever been the case for Tsunoda.
What does Yuki Tsunoda need to do?
I’ve narrowed Red Bull’s case against him down to three main points.
Immaturity: I think concerns over Tsunoda’s temperament are overblown at this point. He gets on the radio and grouches as all drivers do. There may be a few more expletives sprinkled in than the average but even that may have more to do with broadcast directors reinforcing a narrative than anything else.
Simply put, a fiery driver isn’t a problem when it’s not leading to damage on track and repair bills in the garage.
Protect your lineup: The Red Bull stable of drivers is a fragile ecosystem that has to balance placating a world champion, developing talent in a meaningful way, and holding onto steady veterans you can trust to qualify well and bring home a solid haul of points. With that in mind, Tsunoda’s value at RB is clear. He’s providing solid performances and brings stability to the second team as the other seat is used for whatever Horner and Marko cook up next.
A driver with something to prove: I very much doubt the Verstappen years at Red Bull will see him paired with a driver who has a chip on their shoulder. Why upset the apple cart when it’s bringing you pies every weekend? In that way, Tsunoda represents risk. Do Gasly and Albon still loom large? Sergio Perez, for all his struggles in 2023, is delivering enough. Even if Carlos Sainz was brought in, he’s a former Ferrari driver with race wins under his belt. The allure of a championship battle would be massive but he’s already announced himself as the hottest available commodity. His personality in a pressurized environment is no mystery either.
I don’t think the treatment of Tsunoda is unfair. If I were the decision maker at Red Bull, I would be two things: rich and also not promoting Tsunoda when there are enough devils I already know.