Several drivers took full advantage of the intriguing strategy calls required to succeed at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday.
Red Bull were out to prove a point at Suzuka and achieved their third one-two of the season.
However, it was a driver further down the grid that Damon Hill was impressed by on Sky Sports F1.
Charles Leclerc put in a phenomenal effort to secure a fourth-place finish after starting in eighth, nailing a one-stop strategy while starting on the medium tyres.
Both Mercedes drivers were left rueing the team’s decision to try and run two hard tyre compounds back to back with the pace simply not there in high temperatures.
McLaren will be satisfied with their points tally although Lando Norris is another driver who might be wondering if he could have achieved more.
It was a close battle between the bottom five teams to fight for the final point after a disastrous qualifying session from Lance Stroll.
The Aston Martin was pipped to tenth at the Japanese Grand Prix by Yuki Tsunoda and Damon Hill was raving about his performance.
The 23-year-old showed why he’s considering one of the most in-form drivers on the grid right now.
Damon Hill praises Yuki Tsunoda after the Japanese Grand Prix
It was another weekend where the two Visa Cash App RB drivers couldn’t have had more different races.
Daniel Ricciardo has struggled to match his teammate’s pace all year but didn’t even reach the third corner on lap one before finding the barriers.
He took Alex Albon with him and had to watch on as the 23-year-old proved why he’s being so widely praised this year.
Tsunoda didn’t get off to the best start before recovering his place in the top ten after the second restart.
READ MORE: Visa Cash App RB driver Yuki Tsunoda’s life outside F1 from height to parents
His strategy wasn’t ideal but when five cars headed into the pit lane at once, it was Tsunoda who led them into the first corner.
Damon Hill has summarized Tsunoda’s Japanese Grand Prix weekend when the spotlight was on him at his home race.
He’ll be delighted to have finally broken his duck after missing out on points every time he had visited Suzuka before.
Damon Hill reserves special praise for RB’s star driver
Asked about Tsunoda’s race weekend, Hill said: “He just responded brilliantly this week, I think he delivered everything that he could probably be expected to deliver.
“You can see the start now, he did get a little bit of a slow getaway and you’ve got Danny Riccardo on the outside, very close to his teammate on the entry.
“Some good moves, we see him going around the outside of Dunlop there, look at the crowd!”
What next for Yuki Tsunoda?
Damon Hill and many others were delighted with Tsunoda after the Japanese Grand Prix and you have to wonder what more he can do to gain the attention of a top-five team.
He’s not in the picture to drive for Red Bull right now, although Sergio Perez is still doing enough to justify a contract extension at this stage so that’s not a consideration anyway.
However, he’s miles ahead of Daniel Ricciardo in the Red Bull pecking order and with Liam Lawson knocking on the door, it might be an Antipodean swap that ends up taking place.
Drivers don’t tend to spend as long as Tsunoda has in the second Red Bull team.
Right now, it might be his best option to continue where he is unless an obviously better choice arises.
The post ‘Responded brilliantly’: Damon Hill loved 23-year-old driver in Japan who ‘delivered everything’ this weekend appeared first on F1 Oversteer.