Tsunoda calls Ricciardo a mentor on Red Bull's Talking Bull podcast

Yuki Tsunoda described former teammate Daniel Ricciardo as a "mentor" during an appearance on Red Bull's Talking Bull podcast, reflecting on the season and a half the pair spent together at AlphaTauri and Racing Bulls across 2023 and much of 2024. The exchange came as Tsunoda was asked to sum up each of his Formula 1 teammates in a single word, a brief exercise that highlighted both working relationships and personal connections formed early in his career.

On the podcast Tsunoda initially offered "teacher" for Ricciardo before correcting himself. "No, teacher is wrong," he said, then settled on "mentor." The pair raced together when Ricciardo returned to Formula 1 in 2023 and continued as teammates until Ricciardo left the squad after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix. Ricciardo ended his F1 driving career with eight Grand Prix wins and has since taken up a role as an ambassador for Ford Racing.

Tsunoda used the same one-word prompt to describe other colleagues from his five seasons in single-seater competition. He called Pierre Gasly "brother" and labeled rookie Isack Hadjar "bro," reflecting the different stages of their careers and shared experiences. He described Nyck de Vries...