Yuki Tsunoda was instructed to swap positions with Daniel Ricciardo and drop to 14th place around the 52nd lap of the race. Tsunoda, a Japanese driver, expressed confusion and frustration over the team’s unexpected orders via team radio. Ricciardo, who was on soft tires compared to Tsunoda’s hard tires, did not gain any more positions after the swap. The maneuver did not benefit the team, and both drivers finished outside the points in the disappointing season opener in Bahrain. Despite the setbacks, VCARB will seek to recover and score points in the next race.
