Renowned McLaren mechanic turned pundit, Marc Priestley, has voiced his concerns over the future of Yuki Tsunoda within the AlphaTauri team following the arrival of Daniel Ricciardo. Despite initial predictions suggesting that Ricciardo’s return to the Red Bull family might be a cause for concern for Sergio Perez, it appears that Tsunoda is the first to face intensified competition within the team.
After Nyck de Vries underperformed, Ricciardo was brought in to replace him following the British Grand Prix. Although the Australian driver has yet to secure any championship points, he has shown remarkable adaptability.
In his first race back, Ricciardo’s fortunes seemed to have faded quickly when he became embroiled in an early incident involving Zhou Guanyu and Alpine. However, through a strategic one-stop approach and skillful driving, he managed to secure a 13th-place finish. In Spa, Ricciardo dropped to 16th but demonstrated potential for a more competitive second half of the season.
Priestley cautioned Tsunoda, suggesting that Ricciardo’s swift adjustment to life at AlphaTauri could pose a challenge for him. He noted, “I actually personally think that he’s in a bit of trouble here because I think Daniel Ricciardo is very strong already in that car.”
Priestley attributed Ricciardo’s struggles in Belgium to a qualifying error related to track limits, rather than his overall performance, indicating that Ricciardo has the potential to outperform Tsunoda consistently if they were placed on an equal footing.
The pundit emphasized the rigorous expectations within the Red Bull family, suggesting that Tsunoda needs to be wary of his performance, as the organization tends to be unforgiving when drivers do not meet their standards.
On the other hand, former Williams driver Jack Aitken offered a different perspective, noting that Tsunoda’s strong performance in Belgium had helped him regain some lost momentum. He observed that Tsunoda’s performance contrasted with Ricciardo’s challenging race, which was not entirely the Australian’s fault.
Aitken also pointed out that Ricciardo had quickly adapted to the team, positioning himself as an experienced driver around whom the team was gravitating. Prior to the Belgian Grand Prix, there were doubts about Tsunoda’s future within the Red Bull franchise, particularly between Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri. However, Aitken suggested that Tsunoda had managed to make a positive impression and regain some lost ground with his performance in Belgium.
