Max Verstappen, Laurent Mekies, Yuki Tsunoda, 2025, generic — Photo: © IMAGO

Formula 1

Red Bull star labels Daniel Ricciardo as his 'mentor'

Daniel Ricciardo was sacked by VCARB midway through the 2024 season

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Wednesday 24 September 2025 21:00

Yuki Tsunoda has suggested that former F1 star Daniel Ricciardo was his 'mentor' when the pair drove together.

Ricciardo drove for Red Bull between 2014-2018, claiming seven race victories in that time before heading off to Renault to forge a different career path.

Having been axed by McLaren in 2022, Ricciardo rejoined the Red Bull family, and found himself at VCARB, Red Bull's sister team, where he raced alongside Tsunoda.

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However, after being vastly outperformed by Tsunoda throughout 2024, Ricciardo was axed from the sport last September, and has not been seen since in a race car. While taking on a global ambassador role with Ford Racing, Ricciardo recently revealed that he was retired from racing.

Now, Tsunoda - who has really struggled at Red Bull since being promoted from Racing Bulls in April - has revealed the role that Ricciardo has played in his career.

"Teacher. No teacher is wrong," Tsunoda told the Talking Bull podcast, before asking host Nicola Hume to clarify the meaning of the word mentor. "Yes, mentor. Mentor. Yes, nice," Tsunoda concluded.

Will Tsunoda race with Red Bull in 2026?

The Japanese racer has only scored 17 points across 15 race weekends since replacing Liam Lawson at the main Red Bull team, while his team-mate Max Verstappen is in a battle for the drivers' championship.

However, arguably Tsunoda's best performance of the season came last weekend at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, when he qualified sixth before sticking to that position in the race and sealing some decent points for the team.

If he can continue in that vain of form and get himself somewhere near to the imperious Verstappen in qualifying sessions and races in the remainder of 2025, then Red Bull may look to keep him on as the four-time champion's team-mate for the vitally important 2026 season.

Red Bull Daniel Ricciardo Yuki Tsunoda