Yuki Tsunoda says if he continues to show his frustration on the radio, it will not be good for him in a bid to secure the Red Bull seat.
In his fourth year in F1 and with Visa Cash App RB, Tsunoda has certainly improved his race craft and performance but one thing still creates problems for the Japanese driver. His rants on the radio coupled with quick frustration over things hasn’t solved yet.
Every season, Tsunoda is asked on the same topic and he vouches for improvements but it doesn’t come. The latest shenanigans happened in Bahrain when Visa Cash App RB deployed team orders to help Daniel Ricciardo to clear Kevin Magnussen.
While the team order didn’t result in what they wanted but it was enough to irk Tsunoda who continued to show his frustration on the radio. Between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, things were sorted in debriefs with Laurent Mekies also comforting the drivers.
With Franz Tost gone, Tsunoda has to work with Mekies and so far, the Japanese driver has good to say about him. “We have very good relationship and definitely already he is helping quite a lot with things to improve our team,” he said. “Obviously there are a bit of similarity between Franz and Laurent, that those two, they really care about each person in the team and I think each person’s comments count and he tries to blend in all of it and make the best answer as much as possible.
“So I think there are similarities. Actually, I didn’t feel [it was] hard towards him, like, struggling to adapt to him or whatever. We just straight up had a good relationship and I think we’re the whole team in the right way and right mood. And yeah, it’s definitely not easy job right now to, you know, blend all the people in, to make sure everyone’s feeling comfortable, because there’s lots of new people coming.
“But so far, what I saw in the team, everyone seems happy and very, very relaxing, comfortable to work together. Post Bahrain, definitely he came straight into my room after the race. And we talked about it quite long. Mainly understanding each person’s perspective, his side and my side. And yeah, he definitely makes me much calmer when I was in the race.
“And he definitely helped me to face the right direction. And I’m feeling reset now and yeah, just move on from there. So yeah, he’s kind of like that, it’s a bit similar to Franz, you know, if the same thing happens, Franz will come straight to my room immediately. So, yeah, feeling good,” summed up Tsunoda.
It is contrasting situation at Visa Cash App RB where Ricciardo is mostly calm about things and present his frustration in a different manner. It is another skill that Tsunoda can learn from the Australian apart from the experience and knowledge.
Certainly, Tsunoda knows how important these radio conversations are since he is still working towards securing the Red Bull seat. He knows the situation as well that such frustration will not yield good results for him in terms of brownie points.
“It’s still a learning process and probably what I showed in the Saturday in Bahrain was opposite,” said Tsunoda. “But I just keep reminding myself just before I jump into the car, ‘not pressing radio’, but also like, just those things, I think also they love to pick myself, to be honest, in those radio messages.
“Yeah, I mean, I’m not that shouting, you know, like that looks in the radio, on the TV. I don’t know, the more I say, it’s getting worse. So I’m just going to say I’ll just try my best to improve. As I said, it’s the thing I have to improve for sure. And yeah, I mean, if I do those things again, for sure, it will be more issues.
“And I know these are things I have to improve mainly. So yeah, I’m working on it. And yes, I’ll show improve. Need more than two steps, you know, not just like one step, for example. And I have confidence that I can prove that. And it’s up to them if they want me or not, I think, for the rest of the things. But yeah, mainly focusing on those self-controllers. Other than that, I have pretty good confidence. I’m achieving most of it, and I just keep improving,” summed up Tsunoda.
Here’s Daniel Ricciardo on his frustration
Here’s Yuki Tsunoda on the move against Kevin Magnussen
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