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Yuki Tsunoda feels that he differs from Daniel Ricciardo in the way he communicates with the team and gives feedback. The two drivers will be teammates again next year with an aim to perhaps get the much-coveted promotion to the senior team.
The two first came together this season in Hungary when Daniel Ricciardo replaced Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri. After a wrist injury ruled him out for multiple races, the Australian returned and ended the season alongside Yuki Tsunoda. The two drivers are well aware that they are possibly in contention for a seat at Red Bull.
If Sergio Perez's performances do not improve early next season, there is a possibility that either Ricciardo or even Tsunoda could get the bump. Talking about his teammate, the Japanese driver pointed out that he was the 'opposite' of the Aussie when it came to giving feedback. He told media outlets, including RacingNews365:
"Always your team-mate is your biggest rival, but I think he's [Daniel Ricciardo] giving good feedback. I'm learning from him already with quite a lot of things, especially how he behaves towards the team. It is quite different to me, especially as it is quite the opposite, which I wanted to fix, and he's a really good reference driver."
The two contributed a combined 23 points to AlphaTauri's tally this year, with Tsunoda raking in 17 by himself.
"We're quite different drivers" - Yuki Tsunoda on Daniel Ricciardo
Talking further about his partnership with Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda said that the fact that both drivers are quite different in their approach helps him improve as well. Talking about his Australian teammate, he said:
"We don't create the time to sit down together and talk about things, but when we have the time, like going to a drivers' meeting or when he's sitting in the same car, we talk as normal."
He added:
"We're quite different drivers with our style, and what we require from the team about the car is different, and that's actually a good thing. I can have a good idea of good options or something different with a different style, so it gives me options to go even faster."
Both drivers will be looking ahead to the 2024 F1 season where AlphaTauri is expected to make notable strides forward. There will be a bigger collaboration between Red Bull and the Faenza-based squad, which is expected to boost the competitiveness of the car.
For Ricciardo and Tsunoda, two drivers who spent the 2023 F1 season in a car that was more or less a backmarker, this should certainly be a step up.
