Daniel Ricciardo ‘s 2024 campaign has not been off to the start that he would have expected. Moreover, the Aussie has been outshined by his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda , in the early stages. Despite his underwhelming performances, VCARB CEO, Peter Bayer has sided with Ricciardo and explained why he deserves to stay on the grid amid rising concerns about his diminishing pace.
Daniel Ricciardo has been whitewashed by Yuki Tsunoda in the intra-team battle at VCARB so far. To rub salt in his wounds, the Japanese driver claimed a P8 finish at Ricciardo’s home turf, where the Aussie finished outside the points. The lack of pace of the 34-year-old has raised eyebrows across the paddock about whether he deserves a seat on the grid, amid young talents waiting in the pipeline to be given an opportunity.
Subsequently, rumors of Ricciardo being given a two-race ultimatum circulated in the paddock but Peter Bayer has decided to substantiate Ricciardo’s seat on the grid by explaining his value to the Faenza-based operation.
The Austrian explained how the team requires an experienced driver and how Ricciardo is the perfect fit.
We need, in our eyes, we need at least one experienced driver, because it’s changing a lot of the dynamics in the team. We have a driver like Daniel[Ricciardo]. I keep saying, he’s much more than a driver. He’s somebody who’s bringing years of experience when it comes to how to set-up the car, years of experience when it comes to media, when it comes to sponsorship, he knows the whole game. For a young team like ours, it’s an invaluable asset to have a driver like Daniel, who is incredibly quick and at the same time helping up a lot with, mainly around the car. Peter Bayer said in an interview with speedcafe
The 52-year-old elaborated that since rebranding to VCARB, the team’s ambitions have changed entirely. Moreover, the team wants an independent identity and not to be considered a junior team to Red Bull. This makes Ricciardo a perfect recruit for them as he would be able to provide direction to the team with his decade-long experience on the grid.
Daniel Ricciardo is baffled by Yuki Tsunoda’s pace
Despite being under constant speculations of being sacked by Red Bull, the Aussie seems to be motivated to perform better. However, his optimistic approach has taken a hit in recent races as his counterpart has been the one leading the team. This has confused the Aussie and thus, he wants to get on top of the VCARB 01 to show his racing prowess.
The 34-year-old is puzzled by Tsunoda’s strong pace.
It has nothing to do with trust. It’s not that I wonder what the car is doing when I brake or turn. That’s not it. I just have the impression that I often may not be able to go at the speed that Yuki can go. That’s why I’m asking the team a lot of questions right now. I expect things to go in the other direction pretty quickly.
Daniel Ricciardo said in an interview with motorsport-total
Ricciardo elaborated that he is confident with the car but is unable to understand how Tsunoda can extract more performance from the same package. Subsequently, this has led him to ask several questions to the team.
Ricciardo is fully determined to understand the VCARB01 and how he can perform better. The upcoming races will be immensely crucial for the former eighth-time race winner.
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