Few things have been talked about as much as Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s dominance this season. One of those things was the highly anticipated return of Daniel Ricciardo. When McLaren showed him the door at the end of 2022, Red Bull welcomed him with open arms. Unfortunately for him, it was just as a reserve driver. But he didn’t have to sit on the sidelines for long because AlphaTauri fired Nyck de Vries and needed someone it could trust in that seat. Since the Hungarian GP, Ricciardo—and everything that followed his return—has been front and center of everyone’s minds. Who hasn’t been? Yuki Tsunoda.

The little Yuki Tsunoda, whose goal in 2021 was to grow taller, has (probably) achieved that goal. But that’s not the only growth he’s had since his rookie season. In his third season currently, the Japanese driver has proved he has what it takes to lead a team. Has he got the recognition he deserves? No.

Yuki Tsunoda doesn’t want to be sidelined by Red Bull

2023 was shaping up to be Tsunoda’s year to shine. He started the season with de Vries alongside him. Although this was de Vries’ rookie season, the 28-year-old had a lot of experience coming into F1. Naturally, everyone expected him to be the team leader, but Tsunoda proved them wrong. That’s when Ricciardo replaced de Vries, but only for two races. He fractured his hand, and in came Liam Lawson. Once again, Tsunoda’s performances flew under the radar because of how well Lawson seemed to adapt to life in F1. His year to shine started becoming a year where he got continuously sidelined. 

Because of the hype around Ricciardo’s return and Lawson’s impressive form, Tsunoda’s future at AlphaTauri came into question. But AlphaTauri cleared the air by confirming him and Ricciardo as its 2024 lineup. Aside from his future coming into question, rumors linked him to Aston Martin as well. Japanese manufacturer Honda is rejoining the sport with the Silverstone outfit in 2026, which was the basis for those rumors. However, Tsunoda laid everything out there once and for all. 

In an interview, as quoted by formu1a.uno, Tsunoda said, “I’m with AlphaTauri, and I’ve been with Red Bull since I was 18 years old. So, I’m just focusing on performing for Red Bull, not for Aston Martin. Hopefully, they don’t misunderstand those things and really consider my future seriously.” As a Red Bull-affiliated driver, his priority is proving good enough for the works team. That’s all that matters to him. “If I perform well as a driver, hopefully, they are concerned more. And obviously, if they don’t, I understand. But if I am able to show my performance, I would like to have a bit more of the attention,” he concluded.

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Ricciardo and Lawson have stolen the limelight from him this season. So, he has every right to demand the attention he deserves, especially considering he’s holding his own in the changing scenarios at AlphaTauri. As much as Ricciardo’s return has overshadowed Tsunoda, he couldn’t help but admit he could learn a few things from the Aussie.

Ricciardo’s calmness is what Tsunoda strives for

Here are a few things about Tsunoda. He’s the shortest driver on the grid. His dream is to open a restaurant one day. If you hear him on the radio, he may come off as a short-tempered driver. More often than not, his radio comms seem like he’s snapping at his team, asking them to shut up, and things like that. Well, that’s not entirely true. He told RaceFans, “Sometimes, my radio is quite shouty. It’s not because I’m angry. I’m not just really used to, at least not yet, talking on the radio while I’m driving.” 

Seems like a fair enough reason, but he intends to work on it. And Daniel Ricciardo is the ideal role model for this. In the time Tsunoda has worked with Ricciardo this season, a few things about the Aussie have caught his eye (and ear). But one thing stands above the rest. Tsunoda explained, “How he behaves with the team. Even in the moments that don’t go well, how he treats the team, what he says on the radio, those things give them more confidence. It changes the atmosphere.”

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Do you feel Red Bull is sidelining Yuki Tsunoda? Was he right to hit back at the team he’s called home since he was 18?