Daniel Ricciardo had a difficult start to the Japanese Grand Prix before crashing into the barriers after colliding with Alex Albon.
Helmut Marko, an advisor for Red Bull Motorsport, returned to Formula 1 in the middle of 2023 with AlphaTauri (now RB). The Australian driver aimed to prove his value to Red Bull this season in hopes of being promoted to Milton Keynes. However, this year has been far from ideal for Ricciardo. Now, Marko criticized Ricciardo’s performance at the race.
The Australian driver had a slow beginning to the Suzuka race, losing a few positions. He attempted to make a move on Williams’ car at Turn 2, but both cars ended up crashing into the barriers. Marko claimed that Ricciardo took a cautious approach into the first corner, resulting in his poor start.
Furthermore, the 80-year-old emphasized that Daniel Ricciardo experienced a typical racing incident with Albon, which is common on a circuit like Suzuka. However, Marko believed that the red flag caused by Ricciardo’s incident worked in their favor. It allowed the Dutch driver to make adjustments to the front wing of his car.
While Ricciardo has had a disappointing performance this year, his teammate has achieved impressive results. The Japanese driver has consistently outperformed the 8-time race winner and has scored the only points for RB this season, including a 10th place finish at his home race in Suzuka.
Helmut Marko praised Tsunoda for his outstanding start after the race was resumed following the red flag. The Red Bull advisor considered the 23-year-old’s overtaking maneuvers as the highlight of the day for the local fans. Yuki Tsunoda became the first Japanese driver in over a decade to score points in Suzuka, and Marko described his performance as exceptional.
Yuki sensationally made his way to the second start, impressing with his overtaking skills. It was the standout moment of the day… Flawless and extraordinary.
Undoubtedly, Yuki Tsunoda has put pressure on Daniel Ricciardo this year. If the Australian driver fails to outperform his much younger teammate, his dreams of staying with Red Bull will likely come to an end. Therefore, Ricciardo must improve his results in the upcoming races to secure his future in the sport beyond this season. However, it appears that the 8-time race winner may face challenges ahead.