Of lately, the action packed world of Formula 1 has been focusing on two rather gripping subjects. First being the possible future destination of a certain Carlos Sainz Jr., whose current contract with Ferrari comes to an end upon the completion of the ongoing world championship. Talks about whether he can be a resource at Sauber, poised to be Audi in the future or even a long term resource at Red Bull continue to paint the Motorsport publications red the way the Spaniard painted the 2023 Singapore race and the recent Australian Grand Prix red with dashing form.
But the other dominant subject in the often unruly world of Motor Racing concerns itself with whether Red Bull can finally find competition this year and who could actually partner Max Verstappen in the team there should the Flying Dutchman continue to remain at the Milton Keynes-based outfit.
However, what’s rather surprising is that despite showing a rich vein of form, there’s hardly been any talk surrounding Yuki Tsunoda on whether he can be pushed upwards from his (current) junior Red Bull team.
Does that not merit sufficient and fair discussion at the very least particularly in those sections of F1 media that concern themselves with pure journalism and actual thought making?
While the mere thought of Tsunoda going to Red Bull for argument’s sake may seem a touch surprising or even premeditated at this time since there are other more “saleable” and arguably popular drivers up for grabs, especially Daniel Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz himself, the fact that Yuki has put together some very respectable performances- already- this season cannot be doubted even a fraction.
Surely, a Yuki doesn’t sell leading F1 publications even as he piques interest. Definitely, a Yuki Tsunoda doesn’t seem like a hot selling item placed outside an F1 pit wall even as he’s a bankable talent on the grid today.
And while it’s all fine and completely just to recount the recent exploits of a Leclerc and in the same way, the struggles of the legendary Hamilton, what’s also important is to take note of what Yuki Tsunoda has achieved in 2024.
Lest it is forgotten, the only points that his Visa Cash App RB F1 team have scored thus far in 2024 have actually come at Yuki Tsunoda’s behest.
While it’s all fair to discuss- and maybe endlessly so- whether Fernando Alonso’s Australian Grand Prix penalty was fair or a bit uncalled for, it is also important to recount the name of the driver who happens to be tenth on the current Driver Standings.
That man is Yuki Tsunoda, a fierce and determined driver who is currently competing with a sense of purpose and faultless focus.
Having scored no fewer than 14 points from six rounds, Yuki Tsunoda, think about it, definitely merits more media space than given and more respect that currently afforded.
What he has done this season are two central things.
First, he has completely outperformed someone like Daniel Ricciardo; his teammate struggling despite driving the very same car that the Japanese talent is competing with. And second, Yuki Tsunoda has actually shown to mirror to other vastly experienced drivers on the very same grid; forget not Nico Hulkenberg, who’s scored just 6 points, Esteban Ocon who has a solitary point to his name and don’t forget Valtteri Bottas, who’s failed to even open his account so far.
On an average, Tsunoda, who’s only just turned 24, is scoring 2.5 points per Grand Prix, which is quite spectacular since neither is his car a rampant one nor the fastest midfielder on challenging tracks or those marked with back breaking or tricky corners.
As a matter of fact, Tsunoda’s VCARB 01 is just better than an absolute back marker. And yet, it’s Tsunoda, not Ricciardo, with much fond respect, who’s been driving the wheels off the machine in gathering results like the fighting seventh he most recently managed at the Miami Grand Prix, the first of the three races to be held in the USA this year. After the disappointment earned at the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix, where he DNF’d Tsunoda drove a fast and clean race to emerge clean over the likes of Russell, Alonso and Ocon at Miami.
It’s one thing to beat a fellow F1 driver, or someone closer to one’s age but it’s a Herculean effort to outscore a titan of the sport in the form of Fernando Alonso, which was evident at the Miami race.
A Visa cash app F1 car out scoring an Aston Martin was maybe stuff of dreams but thanks to Yuki’s prowess, we just saw that. Having said that, Miami was not the only contest this year where Yuki Tsunoda collected a P7 result; as seen previously, he gathered the exact same result at the testing and somewhat constricting Australian Grand Prix’s street course.
Make no mistake; it’s not that Yuki Tsunoda is the cleanest driver whose racing craft is absolutely bereft of rough driving; but the very fact that the Sagmihara-born talent fights for every inch of the tarmac on the grid and doesn’t easily give into pressure makes him a compelling force and should Red Bull be listening, maybe even force to reckon with. Perhaps it could be argued that another under appreciated fact about the Japanese racer is the very truth that just how far he has come especially in comparison to the 2023 Formula 1 season.
But how’s that? Is that a tall claim? In reality, anything but! In 2023, all that Tsunoda was able to collect were 17 points and he stood fourteenth overall. Having said that, this year from just six races under his belt, the very same Tsunoda has already bagged a highly valuable tally of 14 useful points.
Overall, the very thought that Tsunoda is single handedly keeping the nose of his Visa Cash App F1 team ahead of the triumvirate of Alpine, Alfa Romeo and Williams is something worthy of finding more mention than it gets in mainstream sport media focused on F1.
On his part, Yuki Tsunoda accepts that he wants to simply keep pushing and with more upgrades, as and when at his disposal, he can keep up the ante of attack over a midfield that could maybe pack a bigger punch than it is currently managing. But in truth, there’s only this much that a man armed with not the fastest of machines out there can do.
But Yuki’s natural attacking instincts highlight his talent and potential to further excel in a sport that has no space for mediocrity- isn’t it? What must also be remembered is that in his very first assignment in top tier of Motor Racing, Yuki Tsunoda have early evidence of his potential. Not many would perhaps recount that in the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix, he had qualified ahead of none other than Kimi Raikkonen; the AlphaTauri bagging a fighting thirteenth at Bahrain’s Sakhir.
But rather remarkably, Tsunoda ended up scoring points in his F1 debut, scoring a not-so-bad P9 as he’d end up ahead of the likes of the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll and the Alfa Romeo of Kimi Raikkonen. More remarkably, in his very first F1 contest, Tsunoda finished over Gasly, who was found struggling with strange gearbox issues.
But when compared to the likes of Norris and even Sargeant, it must be said that Tsunoda is a young and recent F1 talent should the phrase phenomenon appear heavy handed. And yet, he’s a hugely talented one who’s showing his mettle and even outperforming some redoubtable names of the grid despite having an expense of no more than 72 Grand Prix entries to his name. Is that not sufficient proof of his effort and talent? The best days of Yuki, surely it must be said, happen to lie in the future. Happy 24th, champ!