Tsunoda scored seventh in final weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, cementing RB’s sixth place within the constructors’ desk after team-mate Daniel Ricciardo scored fourth in Saturday’s dash.
Whereas Ricciardo had been struggling to rise up to hurry this yr within the VCARB01, Tsunoda picked up the baton because the group’s lead driver over the primary 5 races of the season, grabbing six factors in Australia and a hard-fought level on residence soil in Japan.
And whereas the group had been exhausting at work to make Ricciardo extra tuned into the automobile [link to Mekies Ricciardo story], group boss Mekies praised Tsunoda for making main progress in his fourth season.
“Yuki has made an enormous step this yr. In equity, he made a step between yr one and yr two, yr two and yr three. And I feel the step he’s making now between yr three and yr 4 is very large,” Mekies instructed Autosport.
“You see a driver now that is ready to not solely have the uncooked pace, which we knew, and he elevated it much more now. However he can execute weekends with completely zero errors from FP1 to the race.
“It was the case in Australia, it was the case in Japan. And it was not removed from that in Miami, to be sincere.
Yuki Tsunoda, Visa Money App RB F1 Group, on the grid
Picture by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
“He has made an enormous step ahead and I feel there’s extra to return, so we’re working very exhausting to ensure we develop an atmosphere the place he is ready to make these steps. We’re very impressed along with his work.
Past executing error-free weekends, Tsunoda additionally impressed along with his extra level-headed manner this yr, which was a key space to work on after a few of the fiery radio messages that punctuated his first years within the collection.
“He’s getting higher [dealing] with the low factors,” Mekies acknowledged. “China was a very good instance, he approached it in a rational manner and we analysed collectively and he hit the bottom working in Miami.
“So sure, it is a massive step ahead. It is performed an enormous position in our present success and we predict there’s extra to return.
“You too can hear it on the radio. He’s enhancing inside and out of doors the automobile.”