Daniel Ricciardo was the big surprise in Mexico qualifying, doing enough to earn a second-row start and outperform Perez in the Red Bull.
Last weekend, it was Yuki Tsunoda who earned headlines for his impressive performance in AlphaTauri. Having secured P8 and the fastest lap in the AT04, the Japanese driver put his team within striking range of 9th place in the standings. However, Daniel Ricciardo’s qualifying result in Mexico brings AlphaTauri to new heights.
An engine penalty forces Tsunoda to start from the back on Sunday, and so the 23-year-old spent his session supporting Ricciardo. This involved offering the Australian driver slipstream in Q1 and Q2. Frankly, though, the 8-time race winner didn’t need this assistance.
AlphaTauri has shown progress throughout 2023, but this weekend in Mexico is a clear highlight. The upgrades introduced in Singapore are producing results, and the Italian outfit’s drivers have been executing consistently.
Red Bull with drivers to spare
Lawson, Tsunoda (and now Ricciardo) are giving Alfa Romeo, Haas and even Williams headaches. AlphaTauri’s pace is legitimate this weekend, with the AT04 benefiting from the low-speed corners and high altitudes in Mexico City.
In the context of the environment at Red Bull, Ricciardo’s P4 result is significant. The 34-year-old even finished ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, who was actually very close (2 tenths) behind teammate Verstappen.
Of course, conversations have sparked about what implications this result could have at Red Bull. Their 2024 line-up, in theory, is already defined. However, it is not beyond the Austrian outfit to make surprise changes to their driver pairing.
Speaking after yesterday’s session, Helmut Marko made sure to place Ricciardo:
“He got everything out of it. It’s a great comeback after his hand injury, and a good recommendation for the future,” he told Sky Germany.
AlphaTauri now offers its drivers a platform
It would be a stretch to suggest that Red Bull will make a snap decision after one qualifying session. The bigger point to raise is not necessarily Ricciardo’s execution – but the performance shown by AlphaTauri.
Throughout the year, Tsunoda and Ricciardo have been limited by the AT04. Even with strong performances, strong points haven’t been possible for the Faenza-based team. Making a convincing case to earn a Red Bull seat is difficult enough, let alone when top 10 results are a rarity.
Yuki Tsunoda has driven at a high level in 2023, and Daniel Ricciardo is already reminding the F1 world of his calibre. If AlphaTauri’s closer technical collaboration with Red Bull in 2024 can lead to a more competitive car, both drivers will have a better opportunity to fight for a promotion to the main team.
