Yuki Tsunoda DEFENDS De Vries as he breaks silence on Ricciardo move

Yuki Tsunoda

Tsunoda DEFENDS De Vries as he breaks silence on Ricciardo move

Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda will be team-mates for the rest of the 2023 season

Harry Smith

Wednesday 19 July 2023 21:57

Yuki Tsunoda has defended Nyck de Vries following his sacking from AlphaTauri, after he claimed that the Dutchman "had the pace" before Daniel Ricciardo replaced him.

Ricciardo will step into the AlphaTauri car alongside Tsunoda for the rest of the 2023 season as he reportedly looks to secure a possible move to the Red Bull team in the long run.

The 34-year-old's return comes off the back of the sacking of De Vries, who was let go after just ten races, in which he failed to score any points.

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If Ricciardo is looking for a comfortable ride this season, he won't find it at AlphaTauri. Tsunoda has been one of the most impressive drivers in the field this season and will pose a major threat to the Aussie's rumoured Red Bull dreams.

Tsunoda excited for Ricciardo partnership

“I’m looking forward to working with Daniel. I can’t say I know him very well, but we had a fun day filming together earlier this year in Miami," Tsunoda explained in AlphaTauri's Hungarian Grand Prix preview.

"I think I’ll benefit from having a very good, experienced driver as a teammate.

"I’m sure I can learn lots of things from him and I also expect he will be able to bring something to the team and move the car development forward.

Daniel Ricciardo will make his return to the F1 grid in Hungary

Tsunoda also wished Nyck de Vries well following his departure from the AlphaTauri team, as he defended the 28-year-old's driving abilities.

“I would also like to say that I had an enjoyable time over the past ten races with Nyck," he added. "I learned from him, and we also had a good time away from the track.

"He had plenty of experience in other categories and gave the team good feedback based on his knowledge.

"He had the pace and, as a friend, I enjoyed my time with him."