Tsunoda vs Ricciardo: RB F1 Team Drama Unleashed?
Mar.4 - It's acceptable for fans and the media to call the rebranded AlphaTauri team 'Racing Bulls' or simply 'RB', CEO Peter Bayer says.
Predictions that the newly-named Visa Cash App RB team would benefit so much from its closer collaboration with Red Bull Racing and end up on the podium in Bahrain proved wide of the mark.
In fact, the dubious 'highlight' of the team's weekend was a bizarre spat on the slowing-down lap after the race - when Yuki Tsunoda lost his cool with teammate Daniel Ricciardo.
The Japanese driver was furious after being asked by the team to let Ricciardo pass - resulting in a couple of wild kamikaze-style moves after the chequered flag was shown.
"That's just how Yuki is," laughed Ricciardo, who called the 23-year-old "immature". "Hopefully he can apologise once he's cooled down a bit. We've still got a lot of races to do together."
It's rumoured that Tsunoda might be recognising that his road to Red Bull is likely to end this year, with many insiders tipping a potential Honda-backed move to Aston Martin for him for 2025.
At 'RB', meanwhile, ambitions are high - hence the willingness to pen lucrative official naming deals with Visa and Cash App. The new name, which Bayer admits is a "mouthful", is controversial among F1's purist elements.
"It is our favourite subject now," Bayer laughed when asked about the name controversy, according to Ekstra Bladet newspaper.
"We faced this luxury problem, that we had Visa, Cash App and Red Bull all supporting us, helping us reach a higher level. That's the reason for the name."
Many F1 commentators and journalists didn't really know what to call the rebranded team in Bahrain - some sticking with AlphaTauri, others recalling Toro Rosso, and yet others mouthing the entire new moniker, 'RB', or 'Racing Bulls'.
"If we look back in history, Racing Bulls are part of Red Bull's philosophy with Flying Bulls, where Mr (Dietrich Mateschitz) had his planes," Bayer said.
"So it was logical, and Racing Bulls is our company's name in Italy. But when you imagine Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula 1 Team, you'd get pretty tired of writing that in each article.
"That's why we shortened Racing Bulls to RB," the team CEO revealed.
"But we are realistic enough to not expect the media to consistently use Visa Cash App RB."
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Too early for such speculation, but Tsunoda's post-chequered flag antics were definitely reckless & should've led to a penalty, be that exclusion from the results or grid penalty for the next race, so he was lucky he escaped unsanctioned, but still a risky move as he couldn't know for certain no other driver would be driving slowly around that corner or that marshals wouldn't be standing near the track edge there.
Even if he switched to Aston Martin (full-time or reserve driver initially) next year, that wouldn't be Honda-linked yet with the partnership only starting in 2026.
He nevertheless didn't do himself any favors concerning a Red Bull Racing promotion.
As for the team name, I just refer to them as Visa RB.
Trying to reinvent himself as Yuki Tornado. Did nothing for himself, Smiling Dan Or Visa on the visor.
I'm same place as Dan , when you get breaking hands, hit by tyres and cruising along with a smile on your dial,nah time to hit the promo trail. Either his own or ORBR.
I'm not sold on Lawson yet, but hey I think there's more upside there.
I don't know if Yuki can go back to Super Formula, but I rather see his future there rather than F1.
So seats to fill.
2 seats