Daniel Ricciardo reckons his RB Formula 1 team-mate Yuki Tsunoda has the ability to succeed in Formula 1, and believes the Japanese driver simply needs to prove he can execute when winning opportunities come his way.
Tsunoda has proven himself as RB's de facto team leader over 2024, his fourth season in F1, but has been overlooked by Red Bull's management as it considered Liam Lawson and Daniel Ricciardo as options to replace Sergio Perez at the lead operation.
Regardless, he has matured over the past two seasons and has subsequently delivered strong results for the AlphaTauri/RB squad despite 2023's struggles with uncompetitive machinery.
Ricciardo now believes that Tsunoda is being looked upon much more favourably, noting his growing maturity and consistency over their year as team-mates.
"I think now he's definitely getting probably the credit that he deserves," Ricciardo stated in an exclusive interview with Autosport.
"Probably a lot of people still think about his first year where he made a lot of mistakes, and it felt like his adjustment into Formula 1, it just felt like maybe he couldn't really adjust and it was all a bit too much.
"[In 2021 and 2022, Pierre] Gasly was consistently beating him, but then I remember the second half of that year, he actually started to probably have a better showing than Gasly.
"He's definitely grown a lot in the last couple of years. So yes, he's fast. Do I rate him? I do. He's probably become a bit more aware of his attitude as well. I think he's doing a really good job."
Discussing Tsunoda's prospects of delivering in the event that he ends up in a position with frontrunning machinery, Ricciardo felt that it was difficult to show that in advance - but reckoned that Tsunoda just needed to make the most of his ability.
The Australian compared that with Lando Norris' attempts to win in 2021 and suggested the Briton did not have the experience to make it work out back then.
"I think [Tsunoda has] grown a lot in the last few years, and I think is showing some really good pace and skill," he added. "I think he's showing more consistency now.
"You just don't know what happens when it's the next [level], and I even look back at Lando in Monza. I won, he was second. The next race he was on pole, he was leading.
"In that moment the experience and the composure of Lewis [Hamilton] won him that race and lost Lando the race. Maybe three years ago, that was maybe a little bit too much for Lando.
"You just don't know until you're in that position if someone can really do it. We've all got the speed, but it's like when the lights are fully turned up, who can still make those decisions and stay most composed.
"Yuki has to answer that in due time, but my answer is definitely not no. I do think he's got the ability, but that part is up to him."
Gasly, who partnered Tsunoda at AlphaTauri in 2021-22, understood his frustrations to be overlooked by Red Bull - and said that he had offered his former stablemate some sage advice.
"I always said Yuki is very fast. I've seen it. He's been proving it the last couple of seasons and he's going to keep proving it," Gasly said.
"So obviously it can be quite frustrating for him. But I talked with him about this, we've had the conversations and I know he wants more and feels like he deserves more.
"I've been in a similar position to him in the past and what I kind of say, 'Just keep doing what you're doing, as long as you’re competitive, you'll be given the right spot at some point'.
"But it's not an easy position to be in. Personally, I would have liked to see him getting a shot at Red Bull - but I'm not Helmut Marko."
Additional reporting by Oleg Karpov
