Yuki Tsunoda Gets an 8/10, “But [Daniel] Ricciardo Can Hardly Give Me a Concrete Value” Claims Former Red Bull Boss in Harsh Verdict

Red Bull’s junior team Visa Cash App RB has a conundrum on its hands. Christian Horner placed Daniel Ricciardo there in a bid to elevate the team’s performance on the back of his 8-time Grand Prix winning experience. But his 23-year-old teammate Yuki Tsunoda is putting on masterclasses on how to race with a midfield car. To increase Ricciardo’s woes, a former Red Bull Boss has given a very critical rating of his attempts at a comeback.

Yuki Tsunoda has out-qualified Daniel Ricciardo in all 4 races in 2024. Bagging 7 points in those 4 weekends compared to the Honey Badger’s 0, the young Japanese has become VCARB’s lead driver. As a result, Ricciardo is facing flak from many spheres of the F1 community. Fans have termed him a ‘showman’, experts have urged RB to sack him, and whatnot.

Amid this souring situation, former Minardi F1 Boss (the team that Red Bull bought and rebranded to Toro Rosso), Giancarlo Minardi has doubled down on the Aussie’s miseries. “After he came back (in 2023), he had that accident, after which he was out because of his wrist,” Minardi told F1maximaal. “He was there, he fought with Tsunoda.”

Adding 2024’s performances to the mix, Minardi gave the Japanese driver an 8/10 rating. “But Ricciardo can hardly give me a concrete value,” he emphasized. “As an outsider who observes things, the problem seems much bigger than injuries, it’s much more complex.”

In summary, Minardi too highlights the lack of Prime Ricciardo’s mentality and moves. No Late braking, no multi-car overtaking, and no thumping win or podium – the current Honey Badger looks like a mere shadow of his former self. How long will Red Bull put up with this?

Red Bull “expects more” from Daniel Ricciardo

When Daniel Ricciardo was at McLaren, except for the magnificent 2021 Italian GP victory, his racing was lackluster. Lando Norris consistently outperformed him – a legacy that Tsunoda is now continuing. As a result, Le Mans Winner Tom Kristensen has doubted his F1 worthiness. Is merely being close to Tsunoda’s qualifying position enough for Ricciardo to retain his seat?

“Probably not, in the means of the people within the Red Bull group,” Kristensen said on the F1 Nation podcast. “They gave him this chance. They expect more from him. We all expect more. We’re used to seeing late braking, overtaking, strong performances. We can’t wait to see them but they haven’t been here yet. I don’t even want to mention that we saw him struggle at McLaren.”

Reports have also confirmed that the struggling Aussie has until the summer break to prove himself. Otherwise, Liam Lawson would take his seat again, but this time, not temporarily.