The recent move by AlphaTauri to replace rookie Nyck de Vries with experienced driver Daniel Ricciardo has sparked speculation about which driver should be most concerned about their performance. Is it Sergio Pérez at Red Bull, who has faced challenges recently and has an expiring contract? Or perhaps Yuki Tsunoda, who now finds himself under closer scrutiny with Ricciardo as his teammate?
If the message was intended for Tsunoda, it appears that he received it loud and clear.
Tsunoda showcased impressive skills during Friday’s second practice session, securing the fourth-best time of the afternoon. Only Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, and Pierre Gasly finished ahead of him.
A noteworthy highlight from Tsunoda’s performance was finishing 0.699 seconds ahead of Ricciardo, with both drivers clocking their best laps on the soft tyre compound.
To provide context, it should be noted that the teams’ program objectives during the session remain unclear. Tsunoda expressed this diplomatically in his post-practice comments.
“I’m sure other teams didn’t reveal their full potential, so it’s difficult to determine our position relative to the rest of the field. Nonetheless, I’m happy with how the sessions went today,” shared Tsunoda during AlphaTauri’s post-practice debrief. He further commented, “Hungary is demanding on tyres, particularly with the C5 soft compound we’re using this weekend, but it allowed us to gather valuable data regarding the car’s performance, and I felt confident with its consistent balance during long runs.”
However, Tsunoda acknowledges that Friday’s progress was significant. “Overall, transitioning from the medium to the soft compound felt like a substantial positive step compared to the previous races,” he added.
Considering it was Ricciardo’s first day driving the AT04, it might have been ambitious to expect a standout performance from him, as reflected in his own post-practice remarks. “At the moment, I don’t believe the position is critical. Today was more about getting a feel for the car. Despite receiving a great deal of attention, as soon as I put on the helmet and got in the car, it felt familiar, as if I had never left,” said Ricciardo. “This morning, we only managed one lap in the dry, but this afternoon, the car felt decent and not too bad. I settled in quickly and began pushing the car to its limits.”
The seasoned driver anticipates further improvement from both himself and the car during Saturday’s sessions. “Tomorrow, I’ll push myself more, and there are certainly aspects of the car that we can enhance,” Ricciardo emphasized. “We’ll do some work tonight, but nothing too drastic. Currently, I’m feeling optimistic. Yuki had a good day, so if we bring everything together tomorrow, we can achieve a satisfactory performance.”
When AlphaTauri made the decision to bring in Ricciardo, it led to speculation that the move aimed at better evaluating Tsunoda’s progress. While Tsunoda has outperformed De Vries throughout the season, out-qualifying him in seven out of ten races and scoring the team’s only points so far, it remained unclear whether this was solely a result of Tsunoda’s growth or De Vries’ struggles on the track.
With Ricciardo now in the picture, the team can gain a clearer understanding of Tsunoda’s development.
Early indications suggest that Tsunoda has indeed received the message and is rising to the challenge. His impressive performance in Friday’s practice sessions demonstrates his determination to deliver strong results on the track.
The post “Yuki Tsunoda Shines in Second Practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix” first appeared on the European News Global.
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