Yuki Tsunoda put together another strong performance in his VCARB 01, earning praise from Helmut Marko for his P8 in qualifying. In a crucial season for his F1 career, the Japanese driver is putting together a series of strong showings to start 2024. All that remains is to convert this starting position into points.
The first round of the season was controversial for Tsunoda, who was ordered to let teammate Daniel Ricciardo pass. However, the polemics surrounding this incident distracted from the 23-year-0ld’s impressive pace in Sakhir.
Alongside this, poor strategy took away a legitimate chance of points. So far this year, similar to his 2023 campaign, Tsunoda’s strong pace has not been rewarded with points. Still, his qualifying form to start 2024 (P11, P9 and P11) speaks for itself.
Tsunoda’s advantage over his opposite number is also significant, reaching a season-high of seven-tenths in Melbourne.
HELMUT MARKO: TSUNODA WAS INCREDIBLE
His most recent exploits earned praise from the ever-present Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko:
“He got into the top 10 again. That was an incredible performance,” formel1.de quotes him as telling Servus TV.
“He was always there, without mistakes. I hope that we’ll get into the points now because the speed is there. That was already the case in the first two races.
“That would be great because the first five teams are so strong. So if you manage to get in there, that’s an incredible achievement.”
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 23: Yuki Tsunoda of Scuderia Visa Cash App RB during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Albert Park Circuit on March 23, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Peter Fox/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202403230188 // Usage for editorial use only //
In traditional fashion, the drivers at Red Bull’s second team face constant pressure. Although everyone on the grid is under the microscope, the Austrian team’s roster has barely any minimal margin for error.
While RB (Racing Bulls) has outlined the importance of having an experienced driver, their primacy function remains unchanged. Tsunoda and Ricciardo are not just making their case for a Red Bull seat but also for the wider F1 grid.
For the time being, though, convincing Red Bull is the priority. In this respect, Tsunoda’s relative youth gives him the benefit of the doubt in comparison to his more experienced teammate.
However, there are no question marks or nuances about which RB driver is performing better at this stage.
In such a tightly contested midfield, just one top-10 finish can tick off the first and all-important box in Tsunoda’s 2024 checklist. As the campaign progresses, this could serve as a critical foundation and safety net.
