Helmut Marko slams Daniel Ricciardo for ‘cautious’ approach at Japanese GP start before first lap crash

Daniel Ricciardo had a poor start to the Japanese GP before ending up in the barriers after making contact with Alex Albon.

Helmut Marko slams Daniel Ricciardo for ‘cautious’ approach at Japanese GP start before first lap crash

Helmut Marko [L] Daniel Ricciardo [R] (images via IMAGO)

Daniel Ricciardo returned to Formula 1 mid-way through 2023 with AlphaTauri (now RB). The Australian driver hoped to prove his worth to Red Bull this season for a potential promotion to Milton Keynes. However, things have been far from ideal for the Honey Badger so far this year. Now, Red Bull Motorsport Consultant Dr. Helmut Marko criticized Ricciardo’s start at the Japanese GP.

The Australian driver had a slow start to the Suzuka race, losing a couple of positions. Daniel Ricciardo tried to make a move on Williams’ Alex Albon on Turn 2. However, the two cars ended up in the barriers. Helmut Marko claimed that Ricciardo had taken a rather cautious approach into the first corner, which led to his poor start.

Ricciardo was however too cautious at the first corner and was overtaken left and right. 
Helmut Marko told Speedweek
YouTube video

Moreover, the 80-year-old highlighted that Daniel Ricciardo suffered a ‘typical’ racing incident against Albon which could easily happen on a circuit like Suzuka. Although, Marko reckoned that the red flag due to Ricciardo’s incident came in handy for Max Verstappen. As the Dutch driver was able to alter the front wing adjustments on his car.

FS Video
This was followed by a typical race accident that can easily occur at the start... In a sense Ricciardo helped Verstappen, because with the stop at the race he was able to rearrange the adjustment of the front wing. 
Helmut Marko stated

Helmut Marko praises Daniel Ricciardo’s teammate Yuki Tsunoda for ‘super’ Japanese GP

While Ricciardo has performed poorly so far this year, Yuki Tsunoda has delivered some incredible results. The Japanese driver has out-paced the 8-time race winner and scored RB’s only points this season, including a P10 result at his home in Suzuka.

Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo
Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo (Via IMAGO)

Helmut Marko reckoned that Tsunoda had a sensational start when the race was resumed after the red flag. The Red Bull advisor reckoned that the 23-year-old’s overtaking was the highlight of the day for the home fans. As Yuki Tsunoda became the first Japanese driver to score in Suzuka in over a decade. Marko even labeled this effort as a ‘super’ drive.

Yuki made his way sensationally to the second start. His overtaking was the show of the day… Without errors, it was super.

Helmut Marko concluded

Certainly, Yuki Tsunoda has increased pressure on Daniel Ricciardo this year. the Australian driver can bid farewell to his Red Bull dreams if he fails to outperform his much younger teammate. As such, Ricciardo must improve his results in the coming races to secure his future in the sport beyond this season. However, it seems that things might be difficult for the 8-time race winner.

In case you missed it: