Yuki Tsunoda enters Austin calmly, unbothered by rumors, as he prepares to face Lawson with a Red Bull seat on the line.
This weekend in Austin, Yuki Tsunoda will have a new teammate as Liam Lawson replaces Daniel Ricciardo, who was sidelined by RB F1 earlier this year.
Speaking to the press in Austin, Yuki Tsunoda naturally expressed kind and supportive words for Daniel Ricciardo. Did he have a chance to say goodbye, given that RB F1’s announcement could only be made after the Singapore Grand Prix due to contractual reasons?
“We spoke after the race in Singapore, we thanked each other, said we appreciate one another, and I was a bit emotional, to be honest,” Tsunoda revealed.
“He was a very good teammate, and I think he’s the driver I’ve learned the most from out of all the drivers.”
“I’ve seen some of his posts on social media, and it looks like he’s enjoying his free time now.”
The upcoming races will serve as a test between Lawson and Tsunoda: the most deserving may earn a promotion to Red Bull next year, replacing Sergio Pérez. Unless, of course, Yuki Tsunoda is already ruled out due to his ties with Honda…
Is the Japanese driver nervous about going up against Lawson, a teammate under less pressure?
“We’ve already had this situation with Daniel, so honestly, I’m used to it, and I don’t think there’s any need to talk about it,” he says.
“I just need to keep proving my worth and showing how I work throughout the race weekends, just keep focusing on what I have to do, and it’s up to them to decide how things go.”
“I don’t think it’s going to change the dynamic. Liam in this seat, it’s not the first time, and we’ve both been in similar situations before.”
Yuki Tsunoda, therefore, appears entirely unaffected by the rumors linking him to Milton Keynes.
“I told myself it was already a bit the same with Daniel. These kinds of things always circulate anyway. To be honest, I’ve gotten used to it, and there’s no point in discussing it.”
“I just need to keep proving myself and working throughout the race weekends, stay focused on what I have to do, and as for the opportunities, we’ll see how things go. It will depend on next year’s contract and everything else.”
Tsunoda insists he is focused on the constructors’ championship above all.
Rather than focusing on his personal future, Yuki Tsunoda emphasizes that his priority is the constructors’ standings, where RB F1 currently holds 6th place.
“What motivates us right now is to maintain our position in 6th place in the constructors’ standings until the end of the season, and I’m sure Liam will do a good job as well.”
“What happens will always be part of this season and everything we’ve built, including with Daniel—meaning this sixth place in the teams’ championship at the moment. If we aren’t able to achieve those goals, I’ll be very frustrated at the end of the season.”
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Tsunoda Unshaken: Lawson Showdown Sparks Red Bull Talk Tsunoda Unshaken: Lawson Showdown Sparks Red Bull Talk
