Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda have resolved their on-track clash from the Bahrain Grand Prix, setting a positive precedent for their team’s future dynamics.
Daniel Ricciardo revealed that he and Yuki Tsunoda have resolved issues encountered during the Bahrain Grand Prix race. The two RB F1 drivers clashed on track because the Japanese driver refused to follow a team order, then attempted an intimidation maneuver on the cool-down lap after the finish.
“Obviously, I know everything is broadcast, and someone will pick up on it,” Ricciardo explained. “It’s hard when you put the helmet on, and at the end of the race, there’s frustration, and you’re also a bit exhausted.”
“You can always do things that aren’t in your character, so I try to take those things into account. But it was also something important for us to talk about after the race.”
“After the technical briefing, we had a private briefing and cleared the air. It was important for Yuki and me to do so, but also for the team to know that we won’t have problems in the future. It’s the first race, and that’s what we needed to do.”
“This can have more significant consequences.”
The Australian believes it was essential to clarify the situation to prevent recurrence, and a meeting specifically about this issue took place after the race debriefing, which resolved the situation.
“What happened on the cool-down lap can have more significant consequences, but we talked personally, privately behind closed doors, very openly and transparently, so it was the right thing to do for us.”
And Ricciardo confirmed that there are still things to adjust, but the problem is well resolved: “Once the helmet was removed, and we left our racing suits, we sat in a room and talked together.”
“This isn’t the first time there’s been a bit of a delay in exchanging positions between drivers. It’s something that can happen in the first race, it’s not perfect, but there’s no problem.”
A situation well “managed” internally
Ricciardo praises how the team managed this delicate situation, and he assures that it’s not even a topic that he and Tsunoda discuss at RB F1 anymore. He also commends his leaders’ interesting approach.
“Honestly, I was curious to see how it would be managed. Because these are the cases in which, as racing drivers, we are stubborn. And sometimes, we say ‘I don’t care, I’m leaving, and they’ll handle it.'”
“But I think the fact that we were brought together in a room and just talked about it was very positive, we were very calm, very composed, without pointing fingers at anyone. It was just about talking.”
“We knew that leaving that room, we would feel much better and we knew we would go to Saudi Arabia without any hangover or anything else because of this little incident. It’s a good thing. I knew we would be asked questions about it, but since Saturday night, we haven’t talked about it anymore.”
Ricciardo Tsunoda Bahrain Resolution. Ricciardo Tsunoda Bahrain Resolution
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