Yuki Tsunoda of Japan has expressed his admiration for the remarkable progress made by the RB Formula 1 team. This comes after the team achieved their first points finish of the 2024 season at the Australian Grand Prix. Tsunoda secured a place in the top 10 during qualifying and went on to secure the team’s first points of the season by finishing in eighth place. However, due to a penalty for Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin, Tsunoda was promoted to seventh place. Tsunoda praised the performance of the car and the team’s efforts in maximizing their opportunities during the race.
Tsunoda’s strong performance in Melbourne solidified his position as the lead driver for RB, while his teammate Daniel Ricciardo struggled and finished outside of the points in 12th place. Ricciardo was surprised by the difference in performance between himself and Tsunoda on home soil. Tsunoda, on the other hand, continues to excel behind the wheel of the team’s redesigned car. He emphasized the importance of resetting himself before each race and highlighted the consistency of the car’s performance compared to the previous year. Tsunoda aims to continue improving and learning from previous races.
RB underwent significant changes during the winter, including personnel and technical philosophy. The team is now more closely aligned with the Red Bull team and has benefited from the integration of key components from the sister team. This has resulted in a stronger package for RB, with Tsunoda noting the impressive performance of the car compared to the previous year. He acknowledged the team’s hard work and the significant upgrades made to the car throughout the second half of last year.
Overall, Tsunoda is pleased with the team’s progress and their ability to consistently improve race by race. He believes that the team’s efforts have paid off and that they are in a much better position compared to last year.