AlphaTauri is satisfied with Daniel Ricciardo’s contribution

The team that was ranked last in the constructors’ championship earned six points in Mexico thanks to an impressive performance by Daniel Ricciardo. The previous weekend, Yuki Tsunoda also scored five points with an 8th place finish and the fastest lap of the race. Thanks to these results, the Italian team surpassed Haas in the championship, taking 9th place.

Since his return to Formula 1 at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Ricciardo has only been able to participate in four races due to a fracture in his left hand. However, AlphaTauri has felt the positive impact of the 34-year-old driver, who previously raced for Red Bull, Renault, and McLaren. « “We can see that he drives the car differently from some of the other drivers we have worked with, including Yuki,” said Jonathan Eddolls, the head of track engineering, before Sunday’s race in Mexico. « His approach to corners and braking is different, his driving style is distinct. »

An adapted car

Daniel Ricciardo’s wrist fracture severely disrupted his adaptation process. During his absence of five races, AlphaTauri progressively introduced a number of improvements on the AT04. To facilitate his adaptation, the team made the decision to revert to a more basic configuration in Austin, allowing Ricciardo to acclimate to the significant changes made to the car since his initial return. Furthermore, the Parc Fermé rules in the context of the sprint format left the Australian with a suboptimal configuration, resulting in a 15th place, last in the standings, following five retirements.

“We had this doubt in Austin, which is why we brought it back to Yuki’s setup,” explained Éddols. “The car has evolved a lot since we made numerous aerodynamic updates, and the characteristics have changed. Then, it got stuck because it was the Parc Fermé, which is why we were frustrated that weekend. We came out of it knowing that there was probably more performance in the package that we didn’t have the opportunity to unleash.”

A very positive Mexican weekend.

In Mexico, Ricciardo showed great performances. The driver had reconnected with the car a week earlier and had benefited from three additional practice sessions. The engineers were not limited by the constraints of the Park Fermé, which allowed them to optimize the car’s settings. In this momentum, Ricciardo managed to achieve the fourth best time in Q3, which allowed him to start from the second row of the starting grid on Sunday.

“At the end of the race, the Australian secured a very solid 7th place. Coming here during a typical weekend allowed us to spend most of Friday working on different setups to try and unlock more potential from the car according to his driving style,” commented Eddolls. “We’re not talking about big numbers, but we can observe differences in his driving style. And he makes a difference in the corners. Therefore, the car exposes different weaknesses compared to how Yuki drives it. One of its major limitations has been the front end, so the setup changes have helped improve the car’s front end for his configuration. I think this will continue with Daniel. But we also have to remember that Yuki was strong here. He missed FP1 because Isack Hadjar was in the car.”

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A renewed sense of confidence

Daniel Ricciardo appears to be more serene this season. During his time at McLaren, especially in the previous season, the former Renault driver saw his confidence decline throughout the season. He encountered significant difficulties behind the wheel of a challenging and heavy car. However, Lando Norris’ excellent performances in the same car created a vicious cycle for Ricciardo. His self-confidence was shaken with each race as the British driver consistently finished ahead of him, and thanks to these results, Norris was the first to receive the latest car upgrades. At the end of the 2022 season, Ricciardo left McLaren to return to Red Bull as a reserve driver.

The departure of Pierre Gasly to Alpine has shaken things up. By leaving AlphaTauri, the French driver opened the door for Nick de Vries to join the Italian team. The 2019 Formula 2 champion failed to convince AlphaTauri, and his numerous retirements in races led to his replacement as early as the Hungarian Grand Prix. Daniel Ricciardo then took his place after a break from competition that seems to have been beneficial for him.

During his role as a reserve driver at Red Bull, Daniel Ricciardo’s contributions to the simulator and his experience were highly appreciated. When a seat became available in the sister team, the 34-year-old Australian earned a spot. In four Grand Prix races, AlphaTauri was convinced of his performance and even decided to extend his contract. However, Sergio Perez’s recent tough performances could suggest a challenge for next season.