Daniel Ricciardo Puts Yuki Tsunoda’s F1 Seat in Question With Single-Handed Heroics in Mexico

A week ago, AlphaTauri couldn’t have hoped for a better result than a P8 and the fastest lap of the race. It was Yuki Tsunoda who was AlphaTauri’s hero last week. Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo was left thinking about what could’ve been. But now, things have changed. Now, AlphaTauri isn’t 10th in the Constructors’ Championship. Ricciardo has set the standard, one that could potentially bring Tsunoda’s Formula 1 future to an abrupt end.

Here are the things Ricciardo has done in the past four months: fulfilled Red Bull reserve driver duties; driven the RB19 in a test; got a call from Helmut Marko, offering him a full-time seat in AlphaTauri; Made his F1 return; fractured his hand; recovered; made his second return; gave AlphaTauri its best result in 2023. Now, he could very well add “put Tsunoda’s future in danger” to that list.

Is Daniel Ricciardo making AlphaTauri reconsider Tsunoda’s seat?

Before Ricciardo got the call-up, Tsunoda was having the time of his life this season. Driving alongside Nyck De Vries, the young Japanese driver proved he could step up and be the team leader. Once Ricciardo came back, however, Tsunoda’s position as team leader wasn’t set in stone. An experienced driver and the proven race winner in Ricciardo, or a temperamental 23-year-old: who would AlphaTauri trust more? Unfortunately (or fortunately) for Tsunoda, Ricciardo fractured his hand after two races and wrote himself off the track for a while.

In Ricciardo’s place came Liam Lawson. The New Zealander turned heads with how well he adjusted to life in F1. his performances spoke for themselves. In only his second race—not to mention in Singapore, one of the toughest tracks—he secured AlphaTauri’s best result with a P9. In the five races that Lawson drove for AlphaTauri, he proved he has what it takes to be an F1 driver. He left after making Tsunoda look slightly bad. Now, Ricciardo’s done the same after the Mexican GP.

Coming into the weekend, Ricciardo knew AlphaTauri had a top-ten car. Throughout the weekend, he flaunted that pace. With a scintillating performance in qualifying, he secured a P4 start-in an AlphaTauri. In Sunday’s race, he finished P7, overthrowing Tsunoda’s P8 from last weekend as AlphaTauri’s best result.

Where was Tsunoda? Throwing tantrums in P12. Discussing this in the ‘Winners & Losers from the Mexican GP,’ Lawrence Barretto wrote, “Ricciardo spent more laps inside the top five in Mexico than the team has managed in all the other races combined this year. Seventh is also AlphaTauri’s best result of the season and moves them off the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship and level with eighth-placed Alfa Romeo.”

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Ricciardo managed to achieve after just one race what Tsunoda couldn’t throughout the season. AlphaTauri’s newfound pace is, in fact, new. Considering Tsunoda’s been driving the car the entire season, shouldn’t he be able to match Ricciardo, if not outperform him? The Mexican GP sure didn’t look good for him. At the Japanese GP, AlphaTauri announced that Ricciardo and Tsunoda would be driving for the team in 2024.

But when it comes to Red Bull, everyone knows no seat is too safe. Given Lawson already proved he can survive (very well) in F1, AlphaTauri has a replacement ready. As bad as Ricciardo made Tsunoda look at the Mexican GP, the Japanese driver only worsened his case with AlphaTauri and Red Bull.

Tsunoda’s temper tantrum pointed out signs of immaturity

Tsunoda knew he’d be on the back foot in Mexico. Taking engine penalties at the venue, he was to start at the back of the grid. Eventually, starting in P19, he showed great pace throughout the race, making it up to P8 midway through. Following a Red Flag interruption, he was hot on the heels of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in P7. With Ricciardo in P6 at the time, things were looking good for AlphaTauri. The Faenza outfit could’ve gotten its first double-point finish of 2023. But Tsunoda ensured it didn’t.

He was eager to pass Piastri and would’ve done so had he bided his time. Instead, he went for the optimistic move and regretted it. Going into Turn 1, he was alongside Piastri but turned in too early, and crashed into the McLaren. The maneuver sent him spinning out of the points. Instead of trying to get back on track as quickly as possible, he punched the air in frustration and cursed on the radio. Looking at this, Red Bull legend David Coulthard said, “He’s got to own full responsibility for that. The fact that he was punching the air in frustration rather than getting back in the race just shows me where his mind’s at.”

As much as Yuki Tsunoda wants to drive for Red Bull one day, could the Mexican GP have brought to light the reasons he may not be fit even for AlphaTauri? His form against Daniel Ricciardo in the next three races could make or break his chances. Can the young gun redeem himself?

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