Daniel Ricciardo’s honest Yuki Tsunoda assessment after fresh Red Bull snub

Daniel Ricciardo says only Yuki Tsunoda knows if he can “really do it” after the Japanese driver was again passed over for a Red Bull promotion.

Next season marks Tsunoda’s fifth year with Red Bull’s junior team, making him the longest-serving driver in the team’s history.

Does Daniel Ricciardo rate his team-mate Yuki Tsunoda?

But despite keeping faith with Tsunoda for their junior team, his team bosses have never once publicly entered him into the hat for the second Red Bull race seat.

Even when the team was debating whether or not to continue with Sergio Perez after the summer break, it was Ricciardo and reserve driver Liam Lawson who were mentioned as potential candidates to replace the beleaguered Mexican driver.

Asked about that, Tsunoda told the media including PlanetF1.com that he was “ready” to step up and insisted that “yes” he could take the fight to Verstappen.

Red Bull opted to continue with Perez, leaving Tsunoda at VCARB amid suggestions by pundits that it was Tsunoda’s “bit childish” antics in yesteryear that had put Red Bull off promoting him.

Ricciardo though believes today the Japanese driver is more “aware of his attitude”.

The 2024 F1 VCARB team-mate head-to-head stats

👉 F1 2024: Head-to-head qualifying record between team-mates

👉 F1 2024: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates

“I think now he’s definitely getting probably the credit that he deserves,” Ricciardo told Motorsport.com .

“Probably a lot of people still think about his first year where he made a lot of mistakes, and it felt like his adjustment into Formula 1, it just felt like maybe he couldn’t really adjust and it was all a bit too much.

“[In 2021 and 2022, Pierre] Gasly was consistently beating him, but then I remember the second half of that year, he actually started to probably have a better showing than Gasly.

“He’s definitely grown a lot in the last couple of years. So yes, he’s fast. Do I rate him? I do. He’s probably become a bit more aware of his attitude as well. I think he’s doing a really good job.”

Daniel Ricciardo: Yuki Tsunoda has to answer that in due time…

But whether his trajectory is enough to see him one day fighting at the front of the field, Ricciardo cannot say.

“I think [Tsunoda has] grown a lot in the last few years, and I think is showing some really good pace and skill,” he said. “I think he’s showing more consistency now.

“You just don’t know what happens when it’s the next [level], and I even look back at Lando [Norris] in Monza. I won, he was second. The next race he was on pole, he was leading.

“In that moment the experience and the composure of Lewis [Hamilton] won him that race and lost Lando the race. Maybe three years ago, that was maybe a little bit too much for Lando.

“What I’m saying is you just don’t know until you’re in that position if someone can really do it. We’ve all got the speed, but it’s like when the lights are fully turned up, who can still make those decisions and stay most composed.

“Yuki has to answer that in due time, but my answer is definitely not no. I do think he’s got the ability, but that part is up to him.”

Red Bull has already confirmed Tsunoda will continue with VCARB next season although his team-mate has yet to be revealed with Ricciardo, Lawson and Isack Hadjar in the running.

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