(Motorsports news) Daniel Ricciardo stole the show in qualifying, finishing fourth on the grid at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, just ahead of the two Ferraris and season leader Max Verstappen. While failing to finish in the top five due to an untimely red light, Ricciardo secured a major result for AlphaTauri by finishing seventh, his first points since his comeback to the Faenza squad in the second half of this season and subsequent injury layoff.
“After last week, this is the weekend I dreamed of,” Ricciardo said Sky Sports, referring to a difficult Austin weekend that marked his first appearance since injuring his wrist in the Dutch Grand Prix in August. “I feel great, better than great. I’m also relieved because two starts, you hold your breath because it’s such a long run to Turn 1 and anything can happen.” In the early stages, Ricciardo was comfortably in the top five, but a red light for Kevin Magnussen’s crash enabled vehicles around him the option to switch to the favored medium tyres, which Ricciardo no longer possessed.
He was unable to hold off the impressive Lando Norris in the second half of the race, and had to settle behind George Russell’s Mercedes. In an interview with the print media, Ricciardo explained that being able to race a Mercedes on merit overshadowed the disappointment of not finishing in the top five. “It’s the red flag that hurt us, but I don’t want to be too selfish because there was a big accident. Obviously, it congealed traffic and allowed some cars to use mediums that we didn’t have. However, to come out with seventh and six points has to make us very happy.”
“At the end, we got pretty near to George. I think in the big perspective, just battling the Mercedes at the finish makes me happier than missing out on sixth.” Ricciardo’s comeback to Austin was hampered by the sprint format, which allowed him only one practice session to adjust to an AT04 that had been extensively modified since his last visit in August. He was able to work with AlphaTauri to develop a more comfortable set-up on a regular Mexico weekend, resulting in his first points since the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year.
“I’m not surprised we had a good weekend because I was just ready for it,” he said. “The direction we went with the set-up, I knew that would allow me to just have a bit more confidence with the car.” Ricciardo’s performance moved AlphaTauri off the bottom of the constructors’ standings, putting it on par with Alfa Romeo in eighth.
Also read: Magnussen F1 crash leads the Mexico GP to be red flagged
