The new Sprint Race format has been a success during the 2024 Formula 1 season thus far, producing two very interesting weekends in China and Miami.
The race in Shanghai produced an incredible battle between Fernando Alonso and the two Ferrari drivers, while Lando Norris finally ended his wait for a Formula 1 race win on Sunday.
Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Podcast, Karun Chandhok shared one pair of drivers that left him very confused during the Miami Grand Prix.
While Norris stole the headlines with his race win, there were plenty of other standout performances.
His teammate Oscar Piastri drove superbly before an unfortunate collision with Carlos Sainz that ended his chance of scoring points.
Esteban Ocon earned Alpine their first point of the season while Lewis Hamilton looked very strong in the race, securing his best result of the season.
However, Chandhok wanted to highlight the two Visa Cash App RB drivers who had a very mixed time in Miami.
He admitted that he wasn’t sure how Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda could have such different races in the Sprint and the main Grand Prix.
Karun Chandhok left confused by RB drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda in Miami
Coming into the weekend, Tsunoda was the best of the rest in the Drivers’ Standings from the bottom five teams, while Ricciardo was showing signs that his form was improving in China before Lance Stroll ended his race.
The Japanese driver had a tough time in Sprint qualifying, but Ricciardo produced his best performance of the season, putting his car on the second row of the grid.
He held onto 4 throughout the 19-lap race, scoring five points and ending his wait to get off the mark in the Drivers’ Championship.
However, in qualifying for the Grand Prix later in the day, he failed to get out of Q1 while Tsunoda once again joined Nico Hulkenberg in surprising Aston Martin and reaching the top ten.
The 23-year-old then went on to match his best result of the season in the race, finishing 7 ahead of George Russell and Fernando Alonso, while Ricciardo was never in a position to challenge for points after starting last.
Karun Chandhok admits that the performances of both RB drivers in Miami left him absolutely perplexed.
However, the weekend was a big success for Laurent Mekies’s outfit as they opened up a gap over the likes of Haas and Alpine.
READ MORE: Visa Cash App RB driver Yuki Tsunoda’s life outside F1 from height to parents
Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda earn RB their best points tally of the season
Asked what he had learned at the Miami Grand Prix, Chandhok said: “I learnt that Lando Norris is probably the most popular driver amongst his peers.
“Everyone seemed delighted that he’d won and it was so nice to see.
“I learnt that the RB form guide is extremely confusing. I don’t know how they can go from Daniel [Ricciardo] being 4 on the Saturday, to nowhere on the Sunday.
“And then Yuki [Tsunoda] going the other way, having a hopeless Sprint qualy and an amazing race, so that was very confusing.”
READ MORE: Visa Cash App RB driver Daniel Ricciardo’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend
What does the future hold for Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda in F1?
Chandhok might have been left confused by both RB drivers in Miami, but the pair might feel it’s done their chances of staying on the grid beyond 2024 the world of good.
Pundit Richard Bradley has since suggested that he doesn’t expect Ricciardo to be on the grid in Imola, but it would be incredibly harsh to drop him at this stage.
The threat of being replaced by Liam Lawson constantly looms within the team and he’s expected to be on the grid in some capacity in 2025.
While Yuki Tsunoda isn’t in contention for a seat in the main Red Bull team, it would be incredibly harsh if he wasn’t retained by RB next year.
His connections with Honda mean that he might finally earn the opportunity to leave the Red Bull family in 2026 when they take over as Aston Martin’s power unit supplier.
The post ‘Hopeless’: Karun Chandhok admits ‘amazing’ driver and 8-win teammate were ‘extremely confusing’ in Miami appeared first on F1 Oversteer.