P1 with Matt and Tommy - BREAKING: Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo will STAY at AlphaTauri next season!

Episode Date: September 23, 2023

We mentioned the rumours, but it's official: AlphaTauri have confirmed that Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo will remain their drivers for next season. We discuss how this came about, why both drivers have kept their seat - and where it leaves Liam Lawson! We're now on Patreon! Sign up HERE for ad-free episodes, bonus content, exclusive early access and loads more!Follow us on socials! You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and TikTok. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello everybody and welcome back to the P-1, Breaking News Podcast. That's correct. We are here to talk about the sadness for Liam Lawson, but the happiness for Yuki Sonoda and Daniel Ricardo, who have been locked in, chosen for Alpha Tauri for 2020. Not a surprise, considering all the rumors that have been going around, but it's finally locked in. There was a part of me that was like, are Alfa Tari just going to wait a little bit longer? No, they didn't. No, they didn't. Personally, I think they should have, but you can see why they've done it here,

of all places, obviously, Yuki Sanoda's home race and having that positive story of keeping him on board. Yeah, because I can understand why they, I mean, look, it's a nice sort of synchronisation and, oh, doing it is home race. but like they don't have to do it now. There's no, apart from it just looking and feeling nice for PR and marketing, there's no, like, they must feel a level of confidence where they just genuinely don't want to take the punt with Liam at the moment. It just, I know that it obviously feels nice, but they don't have to do it now. No, they don't.

And I'm, I think logically it makes more sense because realistically you've had, you're choosing between three drivers. Yuki Snowd has been in the whole year. You've had Daniel Ricardo in for two rounds and a practice session and Liam Lawson in for three rounds. So you've not really had time to assess. Of course, Lawson has done a brilliant job and that's why there's a lot of debate of whether he should have got the seat or not. But it's so early to be making that call. But clearly Alpha Tauri and the whole Honda connection, they wanted it done in Japan. They certainly did, and that's what they got. So first and foremost, let's talk about Yuki Sonoda and kind of figure out why he's been locked in for 2024. I don't think this is going to be

a difficult discussion because I don't think there's doubts on either of our size that Yuki Sunoda has been good this year. I think what's probably been the biggest low light, or not low light, but just something that's maybe given you in particular, Tommy, as a Yuki Sano to Stan, some perhaps doubt is how quickly Liam Lawson has come into this team and appear to be on the same level as Yuki. I think that's the only thing that you can really take away from him, because realistically, his results in a car that has been one of, if not the slowest car at a lot of weekends, especially at the start of the year, he was still producing results the 11th, a lot of 11th.

You know, that was at the start of the year, like a thing that just became a bit of a running, running theme. And that's what actually created, caused us to go, well, I think points should be handed down to 15th. But apart from that, there hasn't been too much to really go against Yuki, I would say. No, he's had the odd wobble where he's had maybe a difficult race. And I think he's actually also very unfortunate that he's had the difficult races as well. when Liam has been alongside him.

Because of course, if you look at the races that Liam Lawson's been in the car since the Dutch Grand Prix, Lawson finished 13th in the Dutch Grand Prix, Sunoda was 15th, but Sonoda was having a brilliant race, was up there right at the sharp end, a lot of it, and then had a pretty wash strategy. then in Monza, he didn't even make the start of the race, so we couldn't even get to see how we'd do. And then in Singapore, he got punted out also at the start of the race and we didn't get to see that he's done. Yeah, exactly.

So we've not, so I think it's unfair to say that, you can definitely say that Lawson has been on Senators level. We've seen it in qualifying. He's done a very good job, and Lawson's had that consistency. But maybe, yeah, we've not really. seen them go proper toe to toe and see who's properly, you know, the quicker driver really at the moment. And you wouldn't expect it to be Liam Lawson at this stage of his Formula One career anyway,

would you? But the fact that he's close enough to even have us questioning who's the quickest is should be enough in a lot of people's eyes for Liam to have a seat next year. Now, as I mentioned about Yuki's positions, he has three points in this championship. Liam has two after Singapore. and yet Yuki's first five results were 11th, 11th, 10th, 10th, 11th. And we were absolutely gassing him up as this team leader consistency, but he just doesn't have the points to prove it, which seems unfair,

especially when we don't have that many retirements in this modern age of Formula One. He has been really good. And I just want to bring that up just purely from a recency bias. People will go, yeah, Yuki's not done much, blah, blah, blah. but you look at the season as a whole and he still does deserve to be in Formula One. Yeah, I mean, after, let's even take Monaco, I think Monaco qualifying,

he was absolutely unbelievable, so good. And we were like, Yuki Snow is the absolute goat this year. You know, he's been the talk of the whole season where he'd finished, like you say, 11th, 11th, 11th, 10th, 10th. So when it's really hard to get a point, and he was driving exceptionally well, and we were talking about Yuki as being, you know, is he even in the shot at a red bull seat potentially with how it's going?

But the interesting switch of narrative, I guess, with Yuki Sanoda's career now, which of course kind of goes alongside Honda, because Honda have bought him on board. and there's the Japanese connection there, is that Aston Martin are being supplied by Honda engines in three years' time. And I think that is something that maybe has changed Yuki Sanoda's path slightly and maybe questioned why would he stay at Al-Fa-Tauri

when maybe he's not in the plans for the top Red Bull seat, which is normally what that Al-Fatari seat is all about. Yes, it feels like a holding seat for Yuki-Sanoda. before his next stage and his career, which goes against, as you say, this whole sort of Red Bull development and whatnot. I'm going to force you now, Tommy, to give me some cons about Yuki Sanoda

as much as, you know, you are a stand. What would be the biggest con in your eyes for Yuki Sanoda and perhaps not getting that seat next year? But of course, it's been locked in for him. I'd say the con is that he still has an absolutely awful race in him where it goes not just wrong but like spectacularly wrong where he he kind of you know it's not even like uh when it goes wrong for him it seems like he will finish dead last with about six penalties rather than just having an off weekend so um that seems to be uh yuki's downfall

he still got that that racing him occasionally um but that's a lot less than it used to be particularly at the start. I think it's not really a con now because he's changed it a bit, but if you look at the start of his career, and maybe it is a con if you compare it to Lawson. They couldn't have had more polar opposite starts where Sonoda looked incredibly quick, but very crash-happy and had a lot of incidents

and did a lot of damage as a rookie in that first season, whereas Lawson has just come in and been very consistent and solid. I wouldn't say Lawson's been like unbelievable speed and looking like future world champion.

He's just been a really consistent driver and that's why he's been rewarded with the points that he has got. Let's now go to Daniel Ricardo and explore why

he has been locked in for 2024. I don't think there's anyone in this world that underestimates the... Well, actually know, there probably is

because there are people that question why Daniel Ricardo has been locked in for next year. But his marketing pull is one that I'm not sure there's many drivers, barring Lewis Hamilton, perhaps, that would bring as much to a team off track than Daniel Ricardo. He is so well loved across the entirety of the planet. But not just that. He is a race winner. We have to keep reminding people. he is a multiple race winner.

And recency bias, I think, in a lot of ways, plays on a lot of people's minds and the last couple of seasons he had at McLaren. And it sticks in my mind as well. There is, of course, that element of doubt of, okay, has he sort of fallen off now? And he only sort of delivers in a car that is specific to his needs. But, you know, in the very brief amount of time he's been in the Alphateri. He looked all right. especially at Hungary when he did that stint for 300 years on those last set of tyres.

There are plenty of reasons why Daniel Ricardo has been locked in. And perhaps we don't know. We don't know his pace right now, do we? We don't know how quick he's going to be compared to Yuki Sanoda, when he's properly settled in, has the breaking of the hand actually played into his hands somewhat because they haven't been able to measure him. So they're like, right, we've got to lock him in for next year

and properly see what he can do over the course of the whole season. Who knows? But either or, it's, I'm just in so many different minds about if Daniel Ricardo was ever vulnerable to losing his seat. And the more I think about it, I don't think so after Alfatari and Red Bull committing to him. Yeah, the fact that he was given that seat of Nick Debrose's seat than them picking Lawson.

I do think he's a good, despite the fact that there is talk of him being a bit, you know, if you say like recency bias, the anti-regency bias of how he did at McLaren and saying he might not be all that anymore. He's still like a good benchmark and I think that's why it's been a case of Daniel Ricardo's in the seat

and then it's between Lawson and Sonoda who gets that next seat because if Sonoda and Lawson go against each other, you could find yourself in that situation of, even though Yuki's been in for a few years, but maybe like Mick Schumacher and Mazepin where they were two rookies and you're like, how do we know if that has is any good or not? Because they might just both be struggling and new.

So Daniel Ricardo, he had a, it's been really unfortunate that we've not got to see what he can do. because Hungary, he drove a very good race after being punted off at the start, and we were all going, look, Daniel Ricardo couldn't do a good job. Then Spa, he had a really good sprint race and we're like, oh my God, this could be curtains for Yuki. And then Yuki did an absolutely amazing race in the main race, and Daniel Ricardo wasn't that good. And then, of course, he's gone and injured himself and we've not got to seen much.

So it is a really tough call. I can see why the narrative has changed so much, hasn't it, in Alphotaria, if who's getting it? I think it's also in an extreme way, we've seen that you're already as good as your last race. You know, we asked this at the start of the year, people would be like, absolutely, you deserve the seat, he deserves the Red Bull seat, he's amazing.

Now suddenly, like, Lawson's the greatest of all time because he's not in ninth place in Singapore, and then like Daniel Ricardo came back and everyone was like, oh, he's a bit rubbish and then, oh, no, actually he's really, really good. So, yeah, we've not had enough of a stint, really, to see how good anyone is other than Nick DeVries. It wasn't very good. Sorry, Nick.

Sorry, Nick indeed. But yeah, I think that sort of sums up why Daniel Ricardo's probably been locked in. And fingers crossed, you know, I guess as well, it takes the pressure off him a little. bit coming back after his injury, whenever that might be, Austin, hopefully, at the latest. It takes a bit of pressure off of him, even if it takes him a few more races to, you know, just get through that whole rehabilitation phase and sort of, you know, for his hand to be properly ready again. But we shall see how that all unfolds for Danny Rick, but I hope it doesn't take him too long to

get back up to speak. I know then lots of people will be going, well, why has it lost and been locked in? as Danny Ricks half a second off of Sonoda. I can see it already, so hopefully doesn't happen for his sake. And finally, why hasn't Liam Lawson been locked in? And what is next for the young superstar that everybody is crowning him after a few races? I was going to say, I would definitely be on the grid in 2025. But I don't think you can ever say definitely at this sort of level,

especially when there are 20 seats and nothing is guaranteed in Formula One because there has to be a space at the inn for someone to come in. And you look at, right, is it going to go to Alfa Tauri? Well, but if Yuki's waiting until 2026, are Al Fah Tauri going to keep him for another year in 25? Or does Yuki then have a year off

and then come back in 26? There's plenty of questions around that and probably the main vacancy will be, Yuki Sonoda because I don't see Alonzo or stroll jogging on in 25 and then Yuki can go in a year early and then it's clear as day as to where Liam Lawson's going to go. There's no guarantees, is there? No, and that is the beauty and pain of Formula One in equal measures that you just, no one is 100% safe. And it's a shame for Lawson because he's, he's. the talk of F1 at the moment and how brilliant he's doing.

But say, you know, Daniel Riccada comes back, does a decent job, then Lawson has a year out. In a year's time, the talk won't be, oh, no, but do you remember Lawson

finished ninth at Singapore? It would be, I don't know, there'll be someone doing bits in F2 that we're like, oh, he's amazing, he deserves a seat. It's so brutal how you, you need to peak at the right times. And harsh for Lawson, you can argue that he probably has

because he's been given that the talk of the Alphateri seat was, well, actually, he didn't have pressure, but he had pressure in the sense of this is his time to show what he can do. And he's done a very good job. But unfortunately, it's not enough for Alphotauri. Not for Alphotauri. For Williams, we don't know. We don't know what's going to sort of be on the horizon.

and there and whether that's a shot in the dark for Lawson. But yeah, you go to 25 and all of a sudden that hype that you say to me, and the narrative does change very quickly and all of a sudden he is up against the next hot shot in the junior formula. It's difficult because you then question, well, why hasn't he been picked over Yuki Sonoda? like we say about this Honda deal and yada yada yada but why aren't Red Bull investing in him or pushing harder to get him in the seat earlier when he could be the future of Red Bull in years to come

especially knowing that there is this you know there could be complications of getting him getting him on the grid full stop I do wonder how much um the fact that Max O'Stappen is still very young. You know, when you had drivers coming through like Max himself, you had,

you know, Sebastian Vettel, who was kind of a little bit older and had moved to Ferrari and things, so they needed that successor. Whereas Lawson,

he's not wildly younger than Max just happened. It does feel like Max is going to be there forever. So I think that has changed the whole prospect of the the avatari seat

and I think a lot of it as well is just the fact that they will be a bit more of their own team next year I think the way that team is going particularly with the Daniel Riccardo coming in does seem like they're not so it's not a hundred percent like this is the junior team we put the kids in and hope they get to to the Red Bull seat it's more

it's more like being their own team and scoring a good amount of points. So it's very unfortunate for Lawson. He's done a very good job. He's done it all he can, really. But Formula One, there's so many different sides to it, unfortunately. And what I do want to say is just because Daniel Ricardo, like Liam Lawson's done a good job, I think he deserves the – he does deserve to be in Formula One. but that's not to discredit Daniel Ricardo.

I don't think Daniel Ricardo is there just because he's marketing. I don't think Yuccasanida is there just because he's a Honda driver. Like, that's unfair as well. It's a very, very tough decision for Alphiari to make because they've got, realistically, there's three very good drivers there that all deserve a place, in my opinion. Yeah, it's not as if one is completely washed and, you know, we're like, oh, I can't believe it. And back to your point around Alfa Tauri being its own team,

I will believe that, Tommy, when they turn up to Stewart's hearings up against Red Bull. That's when I'll fully believe that theory. And finally, we did a poll over on our YouTube community, where thousands of you have voted, and we asked which of these drivers deserves the Alfa Tauri seat the most. 15% reckon Daniel Ricardo, 23% reckon Sonoda, and 62% have voted Liam Lawson, which I mean, Liam's doing great, but I feel there's an element of momentum, hype, and

recency bias going on for that level of percentage going on, to be the driver that most deserves this. You do that after, say Lawson's come in at the start of the year, had a nine, one good result, but Sonodas had those five, 11th, 10th, 10th, 11th, 11th, or whatever it is. I guarantee that result is completely different. Yeah, exactly. I think it is going to be. fascinating as we move to Japan, Qatar, not sure when Daniel Ricardo will be back. I'd like to see, of course I'd like to see Daniel Ricardo back, but I'd like maybe two or three races where we do actually get to see properly, Snowder and Lawson go up against each other in a normal race, not with, you know, a breakdown or different strategies or things like that and just see a bit.

a bit more clearly how they're doing. And, you know, if Lawson is wiping the floor with Sonoda, then fair enough. But I think at the moment, it's unfair to think that Lawson is so much better than Sonoda, because that's just not the case. Yeah. You know, even Singapore, you know, of course, yeah, he made a mistake in Q2 and had the problem with the traffic in Q2. But, you know, he put, he was first in Q1 and that lap was good enough.

to put him in Q3. So there's no denying that Yucita Noda is an unbelievably quick driver. And there's a lot of potential there. It's going to be interesting to see how the Japanese Grand Prix unfolds as well the weekend with Lawson having some experience in Super Formula, which is a series that the cars are almost as quick as Formula One cars. So he has got experience around here. So that'll be interesting to see how that all unfolds.

And that is it. Thank you, everybody, for watching and listening to this chat around the Alfa Tauri seat, Tommy, what are your final thoughts? Don't underestimate Yuki Sonoda. Oh, here it is. The fanboy has come out once again. I knew it would come out eventually. And my final thoughts are, congratulations. Dan Ricardo and Yuki Sanoda.

Liam, we'll be on the F1 grid full-time soon, I'm sure. Maybe. Fingers crossed. Bye! Bye! P1 is a Stack production and part of the A-cast Creator Network.