Miami Grand Prix – Saturday Sprint Race and Qualifying – Visa Cash App RB Team – Cysnews

MIAMI, FLORIDA – MAY 04: Yuki Tsunoda of Japan driving the (22) Visa Cash App RB VCARB 01 on track during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 04, 2024 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202405040530 // Usage for editorial use only //

Visa Cash App RB team drivers’ statements after Saturday’s sprint race and qualifying

DANIEL RICCIARDO #3

SPRINT – POS. 4TH PLACE

“It was a very difficult sprint, but I felt amazing, fighting for the front is much more pleasant. I saw the Ferrari in the rearview mirror for almost the whole race and thought, well, challenge accepted, let’s do what can be done! I was able to hold off Carlos (Sainz) every lap, so when I saw the end of the race coming, I really thought maybe we could hold the position. It was a sprint race in the truest sense of the word and it was without any tire savings. I am proud of myself and the team, of all the people who stood behind me and believed in me. There is definitely happiness, but also strong emotions, especially when looking at the first few races of the season. I thank the people for their patience and for being rewarded with such a result. We all deserve this result because we went through a lot to get here, so it’s even nicer. “

YUKI TSUNODA #22

SPRINT – POS. EIGHTH

“First of all I’m happy for the team and congratulations to them and Daniel for today’s sprint race! It’s very mixed feelings for me; In the end I lost the battle with Lewis (Hamilton). If he hadn’t been penalized in the sprint, I would have been ninth, and even though the final result was eighth, he did a very good job and passed me. If I had defended better, I think I could have finished ahead of him at the checkered flag. It’s frustrating for a rider to lose a fight, but I enjoyed it and it’s something I can learn from. As a driver, I’m not completely satisfied, but I’m happy to repay the team and get a point, especially after yesterday I wasn’t able to put it together properly to get the performance out of the car.

YUKI TSUNODA #22

QUALIFYING – BEST LAP: (Q1) 1:28.423, (Q2) 1:28.167, (Q3) 1:28.192, POS. TENTH

“I am happy that I can start the race in the top ten and in a better position than in the sprint. Qualifying wasn’t the best for me personally, but we still made it to Q3. I never felt too proud of my bike, I didn’t make any big mistakes but overall I could have done better. It’s something else we can learn for the future. The team did a fantastic job and I felt comfortable and confident in the car from the first practice session. I wasn’t able to get the power out yesterday, but I’m happy because I feel like I maximized the car’s strong performance more today. After today’s sprint and our racing performance, I’m looking forward to tomorrow!”

DANIEL RICCIARDO #3

QUALIFYING – BEST LAP: (Q1) 1:28.617, POS. 18. PLACE

“This is sport, it’s very unpredictable and sometimes things can change so quickly, so at least we really enjoyed the morning with the team. This afternoon was frustrating and obviously I’m not happy with it because there’s a big contrast to what we achieved in the sprint. I saw Lando’s bike in SQ3 yesterday where he was struggling from the start, sliding on the soft tires and honestly I felt the same way today. I started going out of the first corner and it got worse and worse for the rest of the lap. There is no explanation at this time. I feel we have a good car, but I think in the last Q1 runs the tires just worked at a different level of grip. The warm-up lap was fine and the team was happy with where the tires were as well. We’ll definitely look into it tonight to hopefully find an explanation. It’s going to be a long race tomorrow, obviously starting last won’t help, but we’ll have plenty of laps to fight our way through the field. I will bow my head!’

GUILLAUME DEZOTEUX (HEAD OF VEHICLE DRIVING DEPARTMENT)

“It’s been a rollercoaster for us today and overall a very positive result for the team as we’ve gained six points and extended our lead over our direct competitors in the Constructors’ Cup. This morning’s sprint was fantastic. Daniel got off to a good start and managed to gain position until the first turn. He was then overtaken by Pérez, but managed to keep Sainz behind him throughout the race. His defense was extremely strong, he kept the fight clean and secured fourth position, which is an amazing result for us. Yuki also had a good sprint despite starting only 15th. We put soft tires on him to familiarize ourselves with this tire compound and attack at the start. He improved by five positions in the opening lap due to incidents that took place in front of him. On lap 14, he managed to overtake both Hamilton and Magnussen and fight for one point. Hamilton overtook him on the last lap but we got the position back as Lewis was penalized for speeding in the pit lane during the safety car at the start of the sprint race. Afternoon qualifying was tough and it was a challenge to find the right balance to get all the power out of the cars and tires. Daniel started well, but on the last lap he had a bad exit from the last corner and lost a lot of time. It means he’s out of Q1, again showing how close the competition is. Yuki had a good qualifying run and got into Q3 again, which is a great result. It still seemed difficult to put the perfect bike together well, but our first analysis suggests that it was tricky for everyone. Tonight we look at different scenarios for tomorrow’s race. For Yuki, a more conventional strategy focused on best race time and fighting the cars around us will probably be more beneficial, while for Daniel there is room to take more risks and try to use the car’s speed to gain positions. Our car is improving and the drivers and team are very motivated to bring home more points tomorrow, so let’s go for it!”

Source: Visa Cash App RB

Formula 1 – Crypto.com MIAMI Grand Prix 3-5-5-2024

See more