F1 News: Ricciardo On "Rivalry" With Tsunoda After Bahrain Scuffle - "No One’s Benefit"

Daniel Ricciardo has cleared the air on his relationship with teammate Yuki Tsunoda.

VCARB driver Daniel Ricciardo has discussed his relationship with teammate Yuki Tsunoda following a near-collision between them during the cooldown lap in Bahrain. Ricciardo implied that any potential rivalry between them has dissipated as it would serve no purpose for either driver.

Key Takeaways:

• Daniel Ricciardo discussed his relationship with teammate Yuki Tsunoda after a near-collision during the Bahrain Grand Prix cooldown lap, indicating that any potential rivalry between them has diminished.
• Tsunoda expressed frustration during the race after being asked to give up his position to Ricciardo and later aggressively passed him during the cooldown lap. However, both drivers eventually resolved their differences through open communication.
• Despite Tsunoda outperforming Ricciardo in Saudi Arabia, it remains uncertain if Ricciardo can impress Red Bull to secure a seat for next season, given Sergio Perez's contract expiration.

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During the Bahrain Grand Prix, Tsunoda expressed frustration after being asked to give up his position to Ricciardo. Later on, he was denied the opportunity to reclaim his position when Ricciardo encountered difficulty passing Haas driver Kevin Magnussen. This led Tsunoda to display his frustration by aggressively passing Ricciardo during the cooldown lap.

While Tsunoda eventually acknowledged his error and pledged to manage his temper, Ricciardo stressed that such actions have never been advantageous. He disclosed that following discussions, both drivers were able to openly communicate and resolve their differences. Speaking to the Australian publication The Age, Ricciardo said:

“Where I’m at in my career and probably just my age … no one’s going to benefit from us having a rivalry or attention or anything like this from race one of a long season. 

“Especially when the team has new personnel. Everyone’s trying to pick each other up and build themselves and the confidence, we need to help them do that as well.

“What happened at the end of the race wasn’t great, but two hours later we walked out of a meeting [and] actually put the team in a better place than it was.”

Although Tsunoda outperformed Ricciardo in Saudi Arabia, it remains uncertain whether Ricciardo can swiftly demonstrate his capabilities to catch Red Bull's attention and secure a seat for next season, especially with Sergio Perez's contract expiring at the end of the year.

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