After the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix, the discussion revolved around VisaCashRB’s and Yuki Tsunoda’s altercation. The disagreement between them on team radio during and after the race created controversy in Bahrain. Daniel Ricciardo expressed his strong opinions about the incident and did not hold back in criticizing Tsunoda for his immaturity.
During the Grand Prix, Tsunoda maintained a significant lead over Ricciardo and also engaged in battles with other drivers to earn points. However, towards the end of the race, the situation changed when Tsunoda was instructed to let Ricciardo pass. The young driver was displeased with the team orders and made sarcastic comments.
Although RB’s performance was not as expected, a top-10 finish was still possible. Tsunoda overtook Ricciardo during the cool-down lap, which brought the two VCBAR 01 machines closer than desired. This greatly frustrated the Australian driver. Despite his frustration, Ricciardo tried to remain calm and addressed the issue after the race.
At the Bahrain Grand Prix, the RB teammates had a close encounter after crossing the finish line. Tsunoda, while passing Ricciardo during the cool-down lap, came dangerously close to touching his teammate. This triggered a strong reaction from the Australian driver, who expressed his frustration on the team radio.
After the footage of the incident emerged, Tsunoda took it upon himself to clarify the situation. As they chased Haas’ 12th-place car, Tsunoda was instructed to swap positions with Ricciardo, leading to a team order dispute between the two drivers in the opening race of the F1 2024 season. Tsunoda’s in-car footage showed him overtaking Ricciardo on the cooldown lap, locking up during a turn, and then aggressively accelerating past the Australian driver. The RB cars were only inches apart.
According to Tsunoda, he wasn’t as close to Ricciardo as it may have appeared. He also expressed confusion about the team’s decision to swap drivers in the final laps. Tsunoda believed he was close enough to overtake Magnussen, but the team’s decision prevented him from doing so. On the other hand, Ricciardo, after the swap, was expected to take over Magnussen’s position, but he failed to do so, adding to the frustration of the Japanese driver.