WATCH: Ricciardo Nearly Taken Out By Tsunoda After Controversial Position Swap

Daniel Ricciardo was almost taken out by Yuki Tsunoda on a cooldown lap after the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix.

Everything started a few laps before the end of the race. On hard compound tires, Yuki Tsunoda was ordered to let Daniel Ricciardo, on soft compound tires, pass him.

The Japanese driver was just about to try to overtake Kevin Magnussen in a matter of a few laps, so he expressed his disagreement with the team orders and initially didn't let his Australian teammate pass him.

After one or two laps, Tsunoda finally decided to let his teammate through, but by then, Max Verstappen on Red Bull had caught up with them.

The Dutchman was a lap ahead, so they needed to get out of his way, and this helped Magnussen, who didn't have to slow down so much for the triple World Champion.

Read also

Hamilton Explains Issues That Held Him Back From Achieving Better Result In Bahrain

The Dane then created a gap of 1.8 seconds between him and both RB drivers, which they struggled to close. Ricciardo only got into DRS of Magnussen one or two laps before the end, but it was too late to go for an overtake. In the end, Daniel Ricciardo finished in P13, and Yuki Tsunoda finished in P14.

What Happened Between Ricciardo and Tsunoda?

The 23-year-old driver complained because he let his teammate pass him, but according to him, Ricciardo wasn't any faster than him.

To top things off, Tsunoda didn't get his position back in the end despite Ricciardo making no further progress up the field.

This apparently upset the Japanese driver, who then decided to dive-bomb his teammate on a cooldown lap and almost crashed into him twice to make a statement.

While Tsunoda probably should have gotten his position back, it maybe wasn't the smartest move from him to show his rage like this. He wanted to be considered by Red Bull for the seat in the 2025 season, but no team wants a driver who creates drama like this.

The Honey Badger went on his team radio right after he avoided a near collision and said: "What the f**k?! I'll save it. He is a f*****g helmet!"

Read also

Verstappen Doubles His Gap To Second Perez In Bahrain Compared To 2023