Daniel Ricciardo Believes Yuki Tsunoda Needs to Demonstrate His Worth for a Red Bull Promotion.

Daniel Ricciardo Suggests Yuki Tsunoda Must Prove Himself for a Red Bull Promotion

Daniel Ricciardo has stated that only Yuki Tsunoda can determine if he has what it takes to secure a promotion to Red Bull, following the team’s decision to overlook the Japanese driver once again. Tsunoda, who is set to enter his fifth season with Red Bull’s junior team, will become the longest-serving driver in the team’s history.

Despite his tenure, Tsunoda has not been seriously considered for the second Red Bull race seat, even when discussions arose about replacing Sergio Perez after the summer break. Instead, Ricciardo and reserve driver Liam Lawson were mentioned as potential candidates.

Tsunoda expressed confidence to the media, including PlanetF1.com, asserting that he was “ready” to step up and compete against Max Verstappen. However, Red Bull chose to retain Perez, with some pundits suggesting that Tsunoda’s earlier “childish” behavior might have influenced the decision.

Ricciardo acknowledged that Tsunoda has matured, saying, “He’s definitely getting the credit he deserves now.” He noted that while Tsunoda struggled in his first year and was often outperformed by teammate Pierre Gasly, he showed significant improvement in the latter half of that period. Ricciardo praised Tsunoda’s growth and consistency, adding that the Japanese driver has become more aware of his attitude.

However, Ricciardo stopped short of predicting whether Tsunoda would ever compete at the front of the field, stating that it’s impossible to know how a driver will handle the pressure until they’re in that position. “Yuki has to answer that in due time,” Ricciardo said, emphasizing that while Tsunoda has the ability, it’s ultimately up to him to prove it.

Red Bull has confirmed that Tsunoda will remain with VCARB next season, though his teammate has yet to be announced, with Ricciardo, Lawson, and Isack Hadjar in the running.