Peter Windsor absolutely loved ‘outstanding’ driver’s display at Australian Grand Prix

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There were plenty of brilliant performances in Melbourne up and down the Formula 1 grid last weekend.

Carlos Sainz stole the headlines with his magnificent win, capitalising on Max Verstappen’s first DNF in two years.

However, Peter Windsor wanted to highlight the display of a driver who finished further down in the points.

There were some clear winners and losers at the Australian Grand Prix, with Mercedes seriously missing out after both drivers failed to finish the race.

Sergio Perez is once again being questioned after failing to pick up the slack after Verstappen’s retirement.

However, Windsor quickly highlighted just how well Visa Cash App RB driver Yuki Tsunoda was in Australia.

The 23-year-old has stepped his performances up another level in 2024 after finishing last season on a high.

He’s out of contract at the end of the year, but surely he’s in line for a renewal, a move elsewhere or even a promotion at this rate…

Peter Windsor praises Yuki Tsunoda after performance in Australia

At the start of every season, each driver will hope that their car is capable of challenging for podiums, race wins and ultimately championships.

Going into 2024, most of the grid would have been deluded if they thought they could keep up with Red Bull such was their dominance in the previous campaign.

Suddenly, Ferrari look like they could be decent challengers while Mercedes and McLaren are still a step behind.

However, drivers will know if they’re not in contention for podiums, then the battle they have to win is against their teammates.

The midfield is very tight but ultimately, the only other person on the grid with the same car as you is the person on the other side of the garage.

Daniel Ricciardo would have gone into 2024 knowing how important it was to beat Yuki Tsunoda if he wanted to achieve his dream of returning to Red Bull.

However, Peter Windsor has lauded Tsunoda for how good he was across the entire race weekend in Australia.

He’s echoed the praise of Helmut Marko and the 23-year-old is now heading to his home race full of confidence.

Yuki Tsunoda the best of the rest in Melbourne

Speaking about the Japanese driver, Windsor said: “Yuki Tsunoda, P8 in the Visa Cash App RB, really good drive again.

“He’s just so good now, racking up points, almost unnoticed, very, very good and very consistent.

“He’s very professional, there’s a lot of talk about these young guys out there but I think we need to start beating the drum for Yuki Tsunoda and how well he’s doing.

“Daniel Ricciardo in the other car, a good yardstick but he did use track limits and he does struggle to be as quick as Yuki in qualifying, that led to the track limits thing you could argue.

“Drove pretty well in the race too, but Yuki was the outstanding one.”

What does the future hold for Yuki Tsunoda?

Tsunoda has understandably earned plenty of plaudits for his performance in Australia and many fans will agree with Windsor that Tsunoda deserves more credit.

As mentioned above, Tsunoda has entered the final year of his deal at Visa Cash App RB meaning he’s under pressure to prove he deserves a seat on the grid for 2025 and beyond.

He’s now entering his fourth year with Red Bull’s sister team and typically this is when drivers are either promoted or moved on.

Tsunoda doesn’t appear to be under consideration for a promotion, but a renewal might suit team principal Laurent Mekies.

Liam Lawson will almost certainly be on the grid next year as well and Tsunoda could guide the young Kiwi through his first full campaign.

There’s also the prospect of heading to Aston Martin given his Honda ties as they become the team’s engine partner from 2026 onwards…