Daniel Ricciardo sent team-mate Yuki Tsunoda a thinly-veiled warning ahead of Sunday's Japanese
Grand Prix . The RB drivers will start the Suzuka race 10th and 11th on the grid and primed for a strong result. But, again, Ricciardo found himself outshone by Tsunoda who got the better of the Aussie in front of his home fans. Ricciardo was 10th after his final run in Q2 and would have reached the last part of qualifying, had it not been for his team-mate. Tsunoda improved on his last flying lap and leapfrogged Ricciardo to snatch that final spot in Q3 himself. He could not improve in the last part of the session and so starts one place ahead of the other RB car. Speaking after the session, Ricciardo made it clear he does not plan on being behind Tsunoda for long.
Lewis Hamilton left clueless as Max Verstappen takes pole in Japanese GP reality check Max Verstappen makes feelings clear about F1 rival Fernando Alonso joining Red Bull The 34-year-old defiantly said: "Our race pace has been alright and we're on the clean side of the grid, so I will
fire myself into the top 10 early. We're on the cusp of points and after a good start we will be in there and we will not let them go - points tomorrow." Ricciardo's desperation to get one over his team-mate is clear. Tsunoda has outshone him so far this season and the Australian's inability to get the better of his rival is threatening his dream of returning to the Red Bull seat he vacated six years ago. Eleventh place is Ricciardo's best qualifying result of the year so far, but the fact he was still slower than the other RB car clearly still affected him. "Mixed emotions, because I think deep down, if we forget the scoreboard, it was a good session," he said. This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more Watch F1 live Watch
Formula One on Sky Sports £22 a month Catch all the action from Formula One on Sky Sports and get exclusive access to races, qualifying and much more for every Grand Prix. From Max Verstappen to Lewis Hamilton, you won't miss a lap on Sky Sports. Sky Watch it here "We didn't get any dry running yesterday so we had only a few laps this morning to get into it, including a spin. Then, obviously quick work to find those few tenths in qualifying. For that, I'm pleased with us being pretty much there - but it's not Q3. "It's been 10 or 15 minutes to I've calmed down a little bit - not that I was angry, but the competitor in me knew I was P10 and when I got bumped by just a little bit [by Tsunoda]... it would have been nice to give the guys a boost, but honestly they all seem pretty happy. "After yesterday, to come out today and give a strong showing, we've got to take that . It's been a steady start to our year so a day like this... it certainly isn't a win, I'm not going to go that far, but you do see some positives in it so we'll try to hold on to those."