Daniel Ricciardo admits he hears ‘a lot of swearing’ from one of his F1 rivals during their warm-ups

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Formula 1 fans only see a fraction of the work each driver does to prepare for each Grand Prix.

Every race is an ordeal, typically lasting at least 90 minutes with drivers undergoing huge G-forces lap after lap, sometimes in treacherous conditions.

Whether it’s lashing rain or extreme heat – as several drivers struggled with in Qatar last year – preparation is key before each race.

Michael Schumacher is typically credited as being the driver who showed just how important fitness is and almost every racer on the grid is constantly working behind the scenes to be at their highest level of fitness.

Valtteri Bottas has taken it a step further by competing in gravel cycling events and is in incredible shape as a result.

Visa Cash App RB driver Daniel Ricciardo was speaking on The Red Flags Podcast and talking about one of his Formula 1 rivals’ preparation for each session.

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Anyone who has followed F1 closely in recent years will know that there’s one driver who has developed a reputation for being foul-mouthed at times in the car.

That’s Yuki Tsunoda – Ricciardo’s teammate – and one of the surprise packages of this season.

Ricciardo has been on the end of one of Tsunoda’s rants on the team radio already this year.

The Australian has admitted that when his teammate is warming up before races, he’s already getting frustrated with himself.

Ricciardo even wonders if that might not be the best preparation before jumping in the car ahead of an important session.

READ MORE: Visa Cash App RB driver Daniel Ricciardo’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Daniel Ricciardo hears ‘a lot of swearing’ from Yuki Tsunoda during warm-ups

Talking about their preparation before races, Ricciardo said: “I played Yuki [Tsunoda] on his mini table and yeah I hadn’t played him since Japan which was a few months ago now, and he’s been playing all the time because it’s part of his warm-up.

“I beat him, straight off the couch!

“But I think it works to his detriment [warming up for races playing table tennis] because I don’t think he always wins.

“So, you hear a lot of swearing! I don’t know if that’s the right mindset to be in!”

READ MORE: Visa Cash App RB driver Yuki Tsunoda’s life outside F1 from height to parents

Yuki Tsunoda having strong F1 season despite frustration in his warm-ups

Despite not always going into the car in the most relaxed mood – especially if Ricciardo beats him playing table tennis, Tsunoda is having a positive campaign.

He’s just outside the top ten in the Drivers’ Championship and has a decent points lead over his teammate.

Tsunoda will want to put himself in the frame to potentially replace Sergio Perez if he’s dropped by Red Bull.

However, Red Bull staff aren’t convinced Tsunoda is the right fit at this stage of proceedings.

The Japanese driver’s rants on the radio are always entertaining and he’s never shy of sharing his feelings.

Tsunoda’s radio chat during his initial AlphaTauri test is legendary within the team and gave his engineer a taste of what’s to come over the last four seasons.

It’s still yet to be seen how the Red Bull driver line-ups are going to shake out for the rest of this season and going into 2025.

But Tsunoda will still be part of the team despite all the chaos going on around him.