BBC F1 pundit Alice Powell noticed a ‘strange’ radio message from Visa Cash App RB to their star driver, Daniel Ricciardo, in qualifying for the Japanese GP this Saturday.
The 34-year-old endured another tough time to start his season at Suzuka as Yuki Tsunoda out-qualified Ricciardo at RB again. While the Australian could only manage P11 and bowed out in Q2, home hero Tsunoda reached Q3 before having to settle for a P10 start for Sunday.
It was even Tsunoda who eliminated Ricciardo from qualifying after pipping the Perth native for P10 in Q2. Ricciardo replaced Haas racer Nico Hulkenberg on the bubble after improving his lap time to 1:29.472. But Tsunoda came across the line seconds later to post a 1:29.417.
Visa Cash App RB driver Yuki Tsunoda out-qualifies Daniel Ricciardo at the Japanese GP
Tsunoda would only improve his time to 1:29.413 in Q3 to finish the session four-tenths of a second from P9 finisher, Mercedes’ George Russell. But it marked back-to-back Q3 outings for the Japanese talent having secured a P8 start for the Australian GP with Ricciardo in P18.
Finishing Q1 on home soil 0.729 seconds slower than Tsunoda left Ricciardo ‘puzzled’ by his deficit inside the RB garage. Visa Cash App RB team principal Laurent Mekies has also since stated that the ‘truth’ behind Ricciardo’s struggles is that he is not comfortable with the car.
READ MORE: Visa Cash App RB driver Daniel Ricciardo’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend
Ricciardo has started his season with P13 in the Bahrain GP, P16 in the Saudi Arabian GP and P12 in the Australian GP. He also only finished ahead of Tsunoda in Sakhir after team orders. Tsunoda responded by finishing in P15 in Jeddah and P7 in Melbourne with RB’s first points.
Pierre Hamelin puzzles Alice Powell with his radio message to Daniel Ricciardo at Suzuka
Ricciardo’s engineer, Pierre Hamelin, also puzzled BBC F1 pundit Powell during qualifying for the Japanese GP with his message on Visa Cash App RB’s team radio immediately after Q2.
“Alright, I know you always need to do a little bit better but you should be pleased. We’re in a good place,” he said. To which, Ricciardo replied: “Yeah, I’m obviously not but I appreciate we’ve done well.” After which, Hamelin added: “Yeah, let’s focus on the positive.”
But former W-Series driver Powell found Hamelin’s initial remark bewildering, having given Ricciardo an apparent back-handed compliment for qualifying in P11 for the Japanese GP.
“I would say that’s a strange compliment, isn’t it?” Powell reacted, whilst speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra (6/4, 07:45).
To which, the BBC’s chief F1 writer Andrew Benson added: “I think the engineer means well there. It’s not what the racing driver wants to hear, ‘You’ve been beaten by your teammate but you should be pleased because before you were really rubbish’. You know?”
Powell replied: “That’s what I was getting out. That’s how I would have heard it, as well, or that’s how I have heard it.”
Daniel Ricciardo ‘can’t underestimate’ what Pierre Hamelin brings at Visa Cash App RB
Hamelin is enjoying his 14th season as an F1 engineer this term, plus a maiden full campaign working with Ricciardo. The pair first united over the second half of last year when Ricciardo replaced Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri. Hamelin first headed for Faenza as Toro Rosso in 2014.
Ricciardo also stated that he ‘can’t underestimate’ what Hamelin brings to the table over the winter. The Australian recognised his engineer had his own challenges in 2023 after working with Riccardo, De Vries and also Liam Lawson, plus having to set up their car for each driver.
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