Daniel Ricciardo's game-changing exchange with Red Bull star revealed

An image of Australian F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo — Photo: © IMAGO

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Daniel Ricciardo's game-changing exchange with Red Bull star revealed

One of Daniel Ricciardo's former F1 team-mates has revealed a pivotal moment between the pair

By Kerry Violet.

Thursday 3 April 2025 21:00

Red Bull's new star Yuki Tsunoda has revealed the exact exchange with Daniel Ricciardo that changed his attitude towards racing in Formula 1.

The Japanese driver competed alongside Ricciardo at Racing Bulls in 2023 and 2024, before the 35-year-old was replaced by Liam Lawson after last year's Singapore Grand Prix.

Lawson and Tsunoda then went head-to-head for the remainder of 2024 to earn the promotion at Red Bull, but despite Tsunoda boasting four years of experience in F1, Lawson was handed the coveted Red Bull second seat for 2025.

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This decision has now come back to haunt Christian Horner and his F1 advisor Helmut Marko, as they have once again initiated a driver swap, this time demoting Lawson back to Racing Bulls and finally giving Tsunoda a chance to race as Max Verstappen's team-mate.

Tsunoda admits Ricciardo row prompted attitude switch

One such example of his short temper was displayed at the 2024 Bahrain GP, where Tsunoda and then team-mate Ricciardo were instructed to swap positions in an attempt for the Aussie to benefit from the change to soft tyres and claim a last-minute spot within the points.

Both Ricciardo and Tsunoda finished outside the top 10 and as the drivers headed back to the pits, the Japanese racer dangerously divebombed Ricciardo, taking to the radio to sarcastically say: "Yeah thanks guys...I appreciate it."

Ricciardo responded over his own team radio saying: "What the f***? I'll save it. He's a f***ing helmet."

Now, in a recent interview with The Independent, Tsunoda has admitted that this awkward on-track spat with Ricciardo was the moment that highlighted the need for him to change for his F1 career to be taken to the next step.

Discussing his shift in attitude, Tsunoda said: "I never felt controlling my emotions was the key to my success, it was just my natural character."

"My mindset would be to take my stress out on the track and then focus afterwards. These days, F1 is more political and has more sponsors. You need to find a balance. You don’t want a driver shouting emotions… the team wants to hear specific feedback.

"I had to change my approach for the future, after what happened with Daniel in Bahrain last year. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be sticking around in F1. It’s the one area I’ve worked really hard at – and it’s helped change my mindset and be more serious."

The 24-year-old has had a promising start to the new season after hiring new management and impressing the likes of Marko within Red Bull, the 81-year-old citing Tsunoda's increasing maturity as a sign that he is ready to step up to Red Bull.

Tsunoda is set to make his debut as four-time champion Verstappen's team-mate this weekend in Suzuka, which also marks his home race.

Red Bull Max Verstappen Daniel Ricciardo Christian Horner Yuki Tsunoda Liam Lawson