Battle for No. 1 Intensifies as Daniel Ricciardo Gains Lucky Headstart Ahead of Yuki Tsunoda At Mexican GP 2023

While the pressure at Red Bull Racing is rising for Sergio Perez, it’s not just the Milton Keynes outfit braving rough waters. Red Bull’s sister team, AlphaTauri, has had a rollercoaster of a year themselves! It all began when Nyck De Vries was replaced by a returning Honey Badger before the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix. The team was expecting to have a gala time with Red Bull’s former race winner, Daniel Ricciardo, but fate would have it otherwise, with the team looking to turn things around at the Mexican GP.

Earlier this year, Ricciardo suffered an injury to his metacarpal bone after he crashed out at the Dutch Grand Prix. Which meant he had to sit on the sidelines for 5 races! However, he finds himself back in the Faenza outfit after making a full recovery. Unfortunately, his return fell short of what the fans at Austin expected. But lady luck is on their side this time around!

Daniel Ricciardo’s hopes for a better Mexican GP helped by Tsunoda’s engine crisis

On Friday, after Practice 1 ended, the AlphaTauri bosses were sent a directive by the FIA. This penalized Yuki Tsunoda because his power unit needed all six of its components changed, which is more than what’s allowed per season. Lady luck just doesn’t favor the Japanese driver, but she might have started to favor Ricciardo. The Australian finished eighth in Practice 1 and is hoping to repeat that during the race. It’s a crucial weekend for him after damage from debris resulted in a lackluster performance at the US GP, one of his favorite venues.

The pressure is building on AlphaTauri, the team is expected to undergo a major transformation year. However, the Faenza outfit would like to end the year on a high. Currently, that’s not looking likely! The team is sitting at the bottom of the pile despite strong outings. They are still in contention for 8th on the standings. Realistically, Haas is within touching distance of 2 more points than Alpha Tauri, and Alfa Romeo is only a little further than that. With a handful of races left, the team needs to maximize their points haul.

The Mexican GP will be an important weekend for Daniel Ricciardo to prove to the team that his experience brings with it a pace advantage too, as capitalizing on Tsunoda’s penalty will be crucial to make a statement. So far, Tsunoda has been in the good books as a favorite for the Alpha Tauri squad. Delivering some consistent results if luck is on his side.

READ MORE: Shrugging Off Post-Injury Miseries, Daniel Ricciardo Makes Bold Prediction for the Mexican GP

But Ricciardo has over a decade more behind the wheel, as well as 11 wins. So it’s easy to see he’s the fan favorite in this battle, but the jury is split almost equally!

Tsunoda’s misery is a double-edged sword for Ricciardo

With a significant head-start over his teammate, as long as Daniel Ricciardo delivers in qualifying at the Mexican GP, he can quickly get in the good graces of the bigger team, who are already frustrated with Sergio Perez. The whole situation might turn out beautiful for the honey badger. However, this situation could end up working against Ricciardo if he isn’t careful! Because a Kiwi is waiting to strike!

As soon as Liam Lawson took over for an injured Daniel Ricciardo, heads started turning around the grid. He has continually demonstrated why he deserves a full-time Formula 1 ride over the previous five races. Lawson has defeated Yuki Tsunoda more than once. He also outperformed Tsunoda at Suzuka. Regretfully, Lawson’s incredible feat arrived a bit too late. Ricciardo and Tsunoda have now been officially announced as AlphaTauri’s 2024 driver lineup.

With Sergio Perez on the chopping block, Daniel Ricciardo looking to turn things around at the Mexican GP, and Liam Lawson’s long-lasting effect, have all been running across the Red Bull bosses’ minds. But Helmut Marko and Christian Horner have faith in their skills to oversee their driver roster. Due to Tsunoda’s affiliation with Honda and his recent achievements, it seems evident that he will be retained.

WATCH THIS STORY: Will Daniel Ricciardo Get Swapped in for Sergio Perez at Red Bull?

On the other hand, Daniel Ricciardo, a successful race winner, can assist the junior team in catching up, but it has come under question after the US GP performance. Ricciardo will look to maximize his result at the Mexican GP if his ambitions are to be Verstappen’s teammate once again!