Метка: Red Bull Racing

Verstappen urges more Red Bull upgrades as F1’s aero testing rules begin to bite

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Max Verstappen has called for Red Bull to continue pushing through car upgrades as Formula 1’s sliding scale aerodynamic testing regulations begin to unfold.

The Milton Keynes-based outfit has been the dominant force in F1 since the dawn of the ground effect era in 2022, with Verstappen and Red Bull taking both drivers’ and constructors’ titles so far.

But it has been the sheer number of victories for the Dutchman in this period that has underlined his dominance, having twice broken the record for most wins in a single season en route to his titles.

Yet the current campaign paints a very different picture at the midway stage, despite Verstappen remaining on top of the standings. Both Ferrari drivers, both Mercedes drivers and McLaren’s Lando Norris have tasted success, with Sergio Perez’s struggles opening the door for a title battle in the constructors’.

F1’s sliding scale regulations were introduced alongside the budget cap in an attempt to level the playing field, with the bottom team in the championship standings given 45% more testing time than that of the championship-winning squad — each of the 10 teams separated by 5% increments.

Asked whether these regulations were beginning to impact Red Bull’s dominance, Verstappen replied: «Naturally, it will always help to have more time but that’s how the rules are, right? To try to slow down the winning team.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Erik Junius

«When you are the ones chasing you are happy when it is like that and, when you are the ones leading and being caught up during the season, you look at it like it is not what you want. But that’s how the rules are written, everyone agrees with it and you just have to deal with it.»

Verstappen had beaten the nearest non-Red Bull challenger (Carlos Sainz) by 25 seconds in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, but with Mercedes joining McLaren and Ferrari in the fight for wins — when the Scuderia is not battling issues with its own upgrade package — the three-time champion has already called for update efforts to continue.

The team arrived at the British Grand Prix with an upgrade package, though damage picked up in Q1 meant Verstappen was unable to fully display the improvements through qualifying.

On the effectiveness of the new package, Verstappen said: «We can see the gain.

«The weekend was a little bit hit and miss with trying a few bits on the car and of course, the weather doesn’t help. But when you look at it, if we didn’t have damage with the floor, we would have definitely been in the fight for pole. So that is a positive.

«We need to keep pushing, we need to keep bring bits — and I know they will come and hopefully they will be a little bit better than the upgrades at the other teams.»

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Erik Junius

Christian Horner has long warned that Red Bull would begin to be bitten by the law of diminishing returns given its strong headstart under the current technical regulations.

But when this rhetoric was put to Verstappen, he warned: «I refuse to believe so, because then you just get lazy.

«I am confident that everyone within the factory, they are always pushing flat out to try and bring bits of performance to the car, but there are a lot of smart people in other teams that are also doing the same thing.»

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Perez slump «opening the window» for McLaren F1 title charge

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McLaren CEO Zak Brown believes McLaren has been offered an «opening window» to fight Red Bull for the Formula 1 constructors’ title by Sergio Perez’s ongoing struggles.

The Woking-based outfit has continued its resurgence from last term in the first half of this season, joining Red Bull at the top of the pecking order with Lando Norris in particular consistently pressurising Max Verstappen for race wins.

Victories for Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton have also assisted by taking points away from the Dutchman, who further lost out when retiring at the Australian Grand Prix.

Watch: How Hamilton Triumphed Against the Odds — F1 British Grand Prix Analysis

But whilst the three-time champion has been a model of consistency, team-mate Perez has almost mirrored his mid-season slump from last year with a similar drop-off in form this campaign.

The Mexican has failed to finish in the top five since the Miami Grand Prix — a seventh and two eighths his only points-scoring finishes in the six races since, a run that has included crashes in Monaco and Canada, whilst a spin into the gravel during qualifying at Silverstone left him with a hopeless cause in the race.

His tribulations have allowed McLaren to close the gap to 78 points in the race for the title and, whilst Ferrari sits ahead in second, the Scuderia has itself experienced a drop in form since Monaco.

Asked about his team’s prospects in the battle with Red Bull, Brown said: «I think it’s going to be dependent upon Perez at the end of the day.

«You’ve just got to assume Max is going to be first, second or third at every race the balance of the year — probably more firsts than thirds.

«Sergio underperforming is what’s opening the window for us. I think if we have the same points gained we’ve had the last six races, the balance of the year, we’d get the job done. So we’re fully aware of it.

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, celebrates victory with his team

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, celebrates victory with his team

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

«But the way Andrea motivates the team, it’s all about this weekend, next session, and the next week. We’re not kinda… we know we can do it but that’s not what’s driving our motivation.

«What’s driving our motivation [is] trying to get better every session, every week, and the outcome will take care of itself.»

McLaren has not been in the hunt for either F1 title since the 2012 season, the last with Hamilton driving for the team, with a mid-decade slump with Honda that followed only now being recovered from.

Whilst the door may be opening, Red Bull’s fast start to the year before rivals began adding upgrade packages to their cars has given the team breathing space at the top of the table.

But on whether there were conversations being held within the team about the chance of success, Brown replied: «I think all of us are [talking]. I think we all went to Bahrain and went ‘right, that’s that championship’.

«It’s going to be epic. Mercedes seems to be very on the pace now. Ferrari are there, about two races ago [Monaco], Charles won.

«So you kind of feel like you’ve got four different teams that are all going to win races in the second half of the year. So it’s pretty awesome — unfortunate the season didn’t start now.»



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«I will turn this around,» says under-pressure Perez

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A defiant Sergio Perez says he will turn his Formula 1 season around after suffering another blow in British Grand Prix qualifying.

In the opening stages of a wet qualifying session, Perez slipped off the road at Copse and got stuck in the gravel trap, ending the session in 19th.

It’s the latest blow for Perez amid a downturn in form that has seen the Mexican score just 15 points since Imola, compared to 101 for team-mate Max Verstappen. Silverstone was the fourth event in six races in which Perez failed to progress to the Q3 shootout.

That has reignited the debate on whether the 34-year-old is the right person to help Red Bull retain its constructors’ title against ever-fiercer opposition.

Perez recently signed a 2026 contract extension that is understood to include a spate of performance clauses. The team is acutely aware its second car must pick up performance and has mulled over a plan B if Perez can’t get his act together.

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

But while disappointed with his qualifying mistake, Perez remains bullish that he can return to his early 2024 form, batting away questions over his future.

When asked if his qualifying mistake came at the worst possible time given the pressure that is building, Perez said: «No, no, no. I’m fully focused on my job.

«I’m fully focused on getting the performance out of myself, the form that I know where I can be.

«I’ve been in this business for long enough so I exactly know what to do and how to turn things around. I will not give up. I will turn this one around.»

Perez is adamant that his continuing dip in form doesn’t affect his Red Bull future after signing his new deal.

«Like I said, I have a contract with the team and I will turn things around,» he added.

«It’s not something that distracts me or anything like that. It’s done and dusted. I just want to get back to my form, and focus on the important things.»

Watch: An all-British one-two-three — F1 British Grand Prix Saturday Update

Perez took the blame for his spin at Stowe, having been one of the first drivers to bolt on slicks as the track started drying up.

Behind him, Daniel Ricciardo also went off but kept out of the gravel, while team-mate Verstappen’s excursion through the same gravel trap left him with floor damage that prevented the Dutchman from challenging for pole.

«It was very frustrating,» said Perez. «Turn 9 [Stowe] was really tricky, very difficult, especially in the beginning.

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«As I was trying to warm up the tyres, when I downshifted I basically lost the rear end quite badly and I went out of the track. I had cold tyres and it’s full of standing water outside of the track, so I just ended up going into the gravel.

«I couldn’t stop the car, I couldn’t go straight. A few people went off, it clearly was a tricky corner. But anyway, I put my hand up, because I f***** up today.»



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Red Bull regrets not warning Verstappen about Norris investigation in Austrian GP

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Red Bull’s failure to warn Max Verstappen that Lando Norris faced a track limits investigation might have avoided their late 2024 Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix crash, reckons Helmut Marko.

Verstappen and Norris collided in the closing stages of Sunday’s race at the Red Bull Ring, after the McLaren driver had gone off the track three times and earned a track limits black-white-warning flag, before then going off in their second skirmish at the track’s Turn 3.

This would later earn Norris a five-second time penalty, as is automatic in F1’s rules once a track limits warning has been issued, but before that came through the pair had collided at Turn 3 – this time when the McLaren driver attacked on the outside line and Verstappen moved across on him.

Speaking to Red Bull’s own TV channel, ServusTV post-race, Marko said: «The victory was lost by several factors.

«The fact that the [second Verstappen] pitstop went wrong, Lando slipped into the DRS window as a result, and also our assumption that the hard tyres would be the better choice in hot weather, which was not the case.

«The temperatures were lower, meaning that Lando had fresh tyres in the last stint and we had used ones, which was also a factor.

«But I would say that both drove unnecessarily hard. We could perhaps be blamed for this: we knew that an investigation with track limits was underway against Lando.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Mark Sutton

«But we didn’t know whether and how he would be punished. So, with hindsight, you could have said: ‘OK, let him go’.

«But let’s look on the bright side, we’ve extended our championship lead, both in the constructors’ championship and in the drivers’ championship.»

Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, also reckoned Verstappen locking up and nearly going off on his out-lap after his second stop was another factor that «all this together made it possible» and allowed Norris to get a victory shot that had long looked unlikely.

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Verstappen had controlled the race to that point, with his pace on the medium tyres in the first stint much better than Norris’s, before the McLaren started to close in as their second stint on hards wore on.

Marko reckoned their late fight was «a really great battle at times» until «it somehow degenerated into who was pushing who more, who was violating more track limits, instead of concentrating on finishing fairly».



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Verstappen/Norris Austrian GP clash caused by unpunished 2021 F1 moves

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McLaren Formula 1 team principal Andrea Stella believes Max Verstappen’s collision with Lando Norris in the Austrian Grand Prix was a result of his 2021 clashes with Lewis Hamilton not being properly punished.

Verstappen and Norris crashed late in the race at the Red Bull Ring when the former moved across the latter at the track’s tight, sharply-uphill Turn 3 right-hander, after Norris had sent a series of moves to the corner’s inside in previous laps.

Norris and McLaren felt Verstappen was moving under braking in all of the moves – something the Red Bull driver later denied.

In an interview with Sky Sports F1 in the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s main event in Austria, Stella said: “I see it as the entire population in the world will know who is responsible, expect for a group of people [Red Bull, its fans and Verstappen and his fans].

“But the problem behind it is that if you don’t address these things honestly, they will come back.

“They have come back today because they were not addressed properly in the past when there was some fights with Lewis that needed to be punished in a harsher way.

“You learn now to race in a certain way, which we can consider fair and square.”

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, battle for the lead

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, battle for the lead

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

Stella was referencing the multiple times Verstappen and Hamilton collided in their bitter 2021 world title contest – where they made contact at Imola, Silverstone, Monza and Jeddah.

The Jeddah clash followed their near-collision at the 2021 Brazilian GP, where Verstappen forced Hamilton off the track at Turn 4 and Interlagos – a move that went unpunished by the officials, with Hamilton nevertheless going on to get ahead.

When asked if he was referencing that particular incident, Stella replied: “Yes, there is many episodes.

“The fact is that we have so much respect for Red Bull, so much respect for Max that they don’t need to do this. They don’t need to do this.

“This is a way to almost compromise your reputation. Why would you do that?”

Stella also said “the stewards found that Max was fully at blame in this episode so it is not about racing in a driver’s way, it is about racing in the regulations”.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB16B, battles with Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB16B, battles with Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12

Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images

He added: «The regulations must be enforced in a way that is effective, because when a car is out of the race as a consequence of this accident the punishment needs to be proportionate to the outcome.

“We had, before this episode [the crash], twice moving under braking. I think it is evident and we have to enforce the way to go racing because we want to have fun, we want to enjoy.”

Stella believes that even if Norris had been able to pass Verstappen, he was unlikely to have sailed clear to victory – despite his strong pace at the start of the race’s final stint.

The Italian reckons that the aerodynamically efficient Red Bull would have been able to stay in DRS threat of the McLaren and so attacked back at a later point.

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“Even if Lando would’ve passed Max, it could be that Max with DRS effect which is very large he could have been in position to attack Lando again,” Stella explained.

“So, actually I think we were prevented from looking at a pretty exciting final part of the race because I am not sure Lando would’ve gone away.

“I think the fight would’ve gone to the chequered flag. It is a shame as we’ll never know.”



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Verstappen says latest Red Bull row «could have been avoided»

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Max Verstappen says the latest row between his father Jos and Red Bull Formula 1 team principal Christian Horner was unnecessary. 

Jos Verstappen had accused Horner of blocking his appearance in a parade before the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday.

While the F1 team says it did not try to stop him from appearing in the event, which is organised by Red Bull’s Austrian HQ, it did not want to use the imagery or footage on its social channels.

Verstappen Sr was left furious and has since withdrawn from driving in the Legends Parade in protest, but not without taking aim at Horner.

In an interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Verstappen said: «Over the past few days, I have heard from several people that Christian Horner did everything he could to make sure I didn’t drive.

«And to otherwise make sure nothing would be filmed. Then I think: say it to my face. This way I don’t want to do it anymore, I find it very disappointing.»

The comment has increased tensions within the team and again pulls Max Verstappen into the firing line.

He had only just pledged to stay with Red Bull on Thursday, after ongoing question marks about his future at the team, despite his long-term deal that runs until 2028.

Jos Verstappen, Dr. Helmut Marko, Consultant, Red Bull Racing

Jos Verstappen, Dr. Helmut Marko, Consultant, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

But after being questioned about the latest in the long-running saga, the Red Bull driver said he is siding with his father which is set to increase tensions once again.

He said: «Naturally, of course, it is not nice, for myself, for my dad, for Christian or the team. Of course, I don’t want these things to happen.

«My dad has been quite clear about the reasons behind it and of course, I can understand his opinion on that because, at the end of the day, he gets asked to drive the car and finds out he is not wanted to drive the car.

«Well, my dad actually doesn’t care, but he was asked to drive it for the Dutch fans. Red Bull — we have a great relationship with the whole track.

«And I understand the other end is to focus on performance that it takes, so I want a good relationship with everyone, but of course this scenario could have been avoided.»

It comes on a weekend when Red Bull was due to celebrate its 20th anniversary in F1 and again puts the strained relationship between Verstappen and Red Bull Racing under the microscope.



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Verstappen urges Red Bull to find more pace as F1 rivals catch up

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Max Verstappen has urged his Red Bull Formula 1 team to bring more performance to its car after being beaten to pole for the Spanish Grand Prix by McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Verstappen and Red Bull headed to Barcelona as the pre-event favourites, but the Dutchman was pipped at the end by Norris, who snatched pole away by 0.020s.

While Red Bull had been expected to restore its advantage after a bumpier run of circuits that were less favourable but still yielded two tightly-contested wins for Verstappen, the world champion rang the alarm bells in Spain after seeing Norris beat him on a proper Red Bull circuit.

«I have been saying for weeks that we need to bring more performance to our car and everyone in the team knows that as well,» Verstappen said.

«So far, it looks like everyone around us is bringing more updates than we do. Of course we have to work on that, we find more performance for our own car as well.

«At the moment we just lack some speed. The gap to Checo [Perez] is pretty big and I think that says a lot, because I don’t think Checo has become worse.»

Verstappen said he had to compensate for Red Bull’s receding competitiveness «for the last few weeks already» with his driving.

«That’s fine too and that’s what I’m paid for, but at the end of the day, we have to find more performance to win the championship again. If you have to drive at 101% every single time, then of course it will go wrong one day.»

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

But he rubbished cheeky suggestions by Mercedes that Red Bull’s latest upgrades might have been a downgrade instead, pointing out other teams were simply finding more laptime.

«No, that’s bullshit,» he shot back. «We are improving the car, of course, but maybe not enough compared to the rest at the moment. Everyone around us is just making slightly bigger steps than us.»

He was also wary about McLaren’s race pace, acknowledging that the Woking-based team is «just good everywhere now».

«Looking at Friday, I thought McLaren looked very strong. They are just good everywhere now. On every type of track, in the long runs and they handle the tyres well too. They just built a strong package.

«There are obviously several teams up front now, but I think McLaren is the most constant of them. Other teams have more highs and lows.

«[Mercedes] also looked good in the long runs. I think multiple teams look strong, Ferrari too.

«It will be all about the details. If you can look after your tyres, then you can make some good progress.»



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Verstappen wants ‘impossible’ F1 2026 weight reduction for fun, agile cars

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The FIA released details of the new regulations set for two seasons ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, with cars set to become marginally shorter and narrower compared to the current crop of machinery.

A 30kg drop in weight is set to come with that in a welcome relief for drivers, who have campaigned for lighter cars in recent years.

But with teams already struggling to meet the minimum values and having to run overweight, which costs lap time, three-time world champion Verstappen is concerned it could lead to struggles.

«It’s gonna be very tough with how everything is, but let’s see,» he told Autosport.

«I mean, even now, some teams are overweight, right? So, to go even 30 kilos less… of course, I know that the dimensions change a little bit, but I’m not sure that 30 kilos will be the perfect scenario.»

On whether the planned reduction was enough to appease the wishes of drivers and provide a more exciting experience behind the wheel, Verstappen replied: «You need at least 100-150kg.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, celebrates on track after winning the race

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, celebrates on track after winning the race

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

«At the moment with how everything is, for sure it’s not possible. But that is also to do with the engine, right? Engine and battery related… it’s very heavy and long, wide.

«At the moment it’s wishful thinking but that is definitely what we need, to make it more agile and probably a bit more fun.

«Safety added a lot of weight, which of course, is good but I’m sure that we can do things a little bit differently. It depends on the regulations that you write.»

DRS will not feature on the new cars as active aerodynamics and an electrical override become available to drivers.

On the override, Verstappen said: «I don’t know how effective it’s going to be. This is something that I haven’t seen yet, how effective that is going to be.»

He joked: «Maybe we need some bananas, and a red shell…»



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​Red Bull might not take Yuki Tsunoda seriously yet, but RB does

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Tsunoda was labelled a fast but slightly inconsistent hothead upon his F1 arrival in 2021 at the tender age of 20, going viral because of his expletive-laden radio messages.

But with it being easier to calm a fast driver down than it is to make a consistently average driver faster, both the team and Tsunoda’s Honda backers kept supporting him as he matured into a tidy, well-rounded racer. Aboard an uncompetitive car, he delivered his best season to date in 2023, proving right outgoing team boss Franz Tost’s adage that a young driver needs three seasons to properly adjust to F1.

As the team morphed from AlphaTauri into RB or VCARB, the now 24-year-old appears to have found another level that his much more experienced team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, an eight-time grand prix winner, has found hard to match.

As RB proved more competitive than last year, Tsunoda has so far consistently reached Q3 and scored points on five occasions, to the point where his off-track excursion in a wet-to-dry Canadian Grand Prix is now considered out of character.

But despite ramping up his performance levels, there has never appeared to be any serious momentum to promote Tsunoda to Red Bull’s main team, with Ricciardo brought back to RB to be an insurance policy if Sergio Perez failed to meet requirements.

And with Perez re-signing on a two-year deal, despite a tough recent spell in Imola, Monaco and Canada, it seems like Tsunoda’s career is stalling for reasons beyond his control.

Red Bull’s strong man Christian Horner appears unconvinced Tsunoda can be the calm and harmonious presence alongside Max Verstappen that he wants, although team advisor Helmut Marko has kept the door open for a promotion in the future, suggesting Tsunoda clicked into gear a little too late to be considered for 2025.
Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

«He has to continue to perform like he does now. Let’s see what the future brings then,» Marko told Autosport. «His development is really good, although it came a little bit later than we expected, but he is now a top driver I would say.»

«This is the first season in which Yuki is consistently fast and he is controlling his emotions, which was his biggest problem before.

«To be fair to him, he had always flashes of speed, but this year besides the China race he is consistently fast. Of course, it is changing his profile.»

Tsunoda understandably looked a bit frustrated when asked to respond to Perez’s contract renewal, a day before his staying put at RB was officially announced.

«Obviously, I’m already committed to Red Bull a lot and hopefully I can have a bit more commitment from them,» he said.

«There’s an ongoing discussion and I want to make sure first of all we’re on the same page with Red Bull after that we’ll see. But I’m happy with RB.

«Even these two years [Perez] has to still perform and in this kind of environment, anything can happen.

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20, Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20, Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

«So congratulations to him, but for me, I just keep focusing on what I’m doing and just proving myself.

«Hopefully, Red Bull will see more of my progress and my potential performance and maybe [it] can change in the future.»

For 2025 Tsunoda’s fate was in Red Bull’s hands, with it taking up an existing option to keep him on the roster.

His options elsewhere looked limited too. He was mooted as being on Audi’s shortlist should it not secure Carlos Sainz or its other targets. 
He was also linked to Aston Martin purely through his Honda link, with the Japanese manufacturer becoming Aston’s works engine partner in 2026. But that would depend on Lance Stroll deciding to call time on his F1 career, which looks very unlikely right now. 

But with RB the standout performer in 2024’s midfield, nipping on the heels and even overtaking Aston Martin on certain circuits, perhaps Tsunoda’s best move was to stay where he is all along.

Backed by new sponsors Visa and CashApp, the Anglo-Italian team is looking to evolve into more than just Red Bull’s B-team in both identity and performance.

Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team VCARB 01, Alex Albon, Williams FW46, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24

Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team VCARB 01, Alex Albon, Williams FW46, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

It has tweaked its driver philosophy, now pairing an experienced driver with an up-and-coming talent rather than being a pure junior team. And with Daniel Ricciardo yet to deliver on a consistent basis, it appears Tsunoda has now moved from the second to the first category and become that experienced pair of hands the squad is happy to build around.

Speaking to Autosport, team principal Laurent Mekies said keeping hold of Tsunoda for a fifth season in 2025 was «key for the project» the former Ferrari man is building.

«He has been doing a phenomenal step this year, which went well beyond our expectations. We were expecting a step but in a fourth year doing such a step change is very impressive, both in terms of pace and outside of the car.

«[His progress] is 360 degrees. It’s not just maturity. The pure speed takes steps, the dialogue with the engineers takes a step, the calmness takes a step.

«It is a superb feeling to witness that and it’s also our responsibility to ask ourselves the question: ‘How many steps like that does he still have inside him?’

«We have to make sure that we create the environment for him to develop them and that’s our task for the next months and next year. It has become crucial for the project and natural to continue with him.»

Mekies said he understood any frustrations at being snubbed by Red Bull, and admitted that if Tsunoda continues progressing at his current rate, he might be «difficult to ignore» for Red Bull or rival teams next year.

Peter Bayer, CEO, RB F1 Team, Daniel Ricciardo, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team, Yuki Tsunoda, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team, Laurent Mekies, Team Principal, RB F1 Team, during the drivers parade

Peter Bayer, CEO, RB F1 Team, Daniel Ricciardo, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team, Yuki Tsunoda, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team, Laurent Mekies, Team Principal, RB F1 Team, during the drivers parade

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

«Look, he’s a Red Bull driver, so he needs to have the ambition to go to Red Bull Racing,» Mekies added.

«He has it, and he’s doing everything he can to prove that. He’s ambitious, we are ambitious. We are pushing each other.

«If he does another step like that next year, he will be difficult to ignore for anyone.»

But until that day comes, Red Bull’s loss is RB’s gain. Red Bull might not fully trust Tsunoda yet, but his current team certainly does.



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