23-year-old driver ‘narrowly avoided’ collision with F1 rival during cooldown lap in Bahrain

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Visa Cash App RB didn’t have the start to the 2024 season anyone expected in Bahrain, and Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo nearly had a collision that could have made things a lot worse.

A processional race for Max Verstappen was intertwined with small talking points throughout the grid.

While monitoring the cars heading back to the pits after the chequered flag had been waved, The Race spotted something off-camera that could have ended in disaster.

Tsunoda and Ricciardo nearly have collision in Bahrain

Plenty of drivers would have been very frustrated at the end of the race in Bahrain.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc watched his teammate Carlos Sainz fly past him despite starting on the front row of the grid as he struggled with brake issues.

Both Mercedes drivers were hampered by cooling problems and Lewis Hamilton even admitted his seat had broken.

Nico Hulkenberg couldn’t capitalise on his fantastic performance in qualifying and spun Lance Stroll heading into turn one, although the Canadian recovered to finish in the points.

However, RB drivers Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo had a terrible time in Bahrain and almost had a collision after the race.

Tsunoda was left furious with a decision from the team that meant he had to let Ricciardo through in the closing stages.

It didn’t make any difference with the Australian unable to clear Kevin Magnussen and both drivers finishing comfortably outside the points.

Tempers flare between RB drivers

The report from The Race suggests that on the cooldown lap – unseen by the TV cameras – the two RB cars very nearly hit each other.

Tsunoda sent his car down the inside of Ricciardo’s going into the turn eight hairpin after initially letting the 34-year-old through.

He passed him again on the exit of the corner, but Tsunoda and Ricciardo narrowly avoided a collision that would have summed up their time in Bahrain.

There’s a lot of excitement around the team at the moment, with Ricciardo even backed to finish on the podium.

V-CARB will hope that the very different circuit in Jeddah will suit their car better when they race again next Saturday.

If it doesn’t, then questions will have to be asked about whether the team have gone in the right direction and whether their current driver line-up is the most effective solution going forward with Liam Lawson waiting in the wings.