Daniel Ricciardo has dream weekend in Mexico

Ricciardo's Dream Weekend at Mexico Grand Prix

Daniel Ricciardo has described his performance at the Formula 1 Mexico Grand Prix as the "weekend I dreamed of". This comes after his impressive comeback with AlphaTauri, marking his first points since rejoining the team earlier this season.

Having qualified in a promising fourth position at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit, just behind the two Ferraris and Max Verstappen, expectations were high. Although an unfortunate red flag meant he couldn't retain a top five position, Ricciardo still secured a commendable seventh place. This achievement is particularly poignant given his recent wrist injury that kept him out of racing. Ricciardo reflected on his performance, "After last week, this is the weekend I dreamed of." He went on to discuss his feelings about the race, particularly the nervous moments at the start, emphasizing the unpredictable nature of racing and the potential for unexpected incidents.

Despite a solid position in the top five early in the race, the red flag, due to Kevin Magnussen's crash, was a setback. The incident allowed several drivers to switch to the preferred medium tyres, an option no longer available to Ricciardo. This saw him unable to fend off Lando Norris later in the race and also finish behind George Russell's Mercedes.

However, always looking at the bigger picture, Ricciardo expressed his satisfaction in being competitive against a powerhouse like Mercedes, even if it meant sacrificing a higher position. "Just to be battling the Mercedes at the end makes me more happy than [I'm sad at] missing out on sixth," he elaborated.

Ricciardo's previous race in Austin had its own set of challenges, especially with the sprint format limiting his practice time. This hindered his acclimatization to the updated AT04. Yet, the Mexico Grand Prix provided him an opportunity to collaborate with AlphaTauri on fine-tuning the car's set-up, which he feels boosted his confidence on the track.

Concluding his thoughts on the weekend, Ricciardo stated, "The direction we went with the set-up, I knew that would allow me to just have a bit more confidence with the car."

His performance in Mexico has not only been a personal triumph but also crucial for AlphaTauri. The team has now matched Alfa Romeo's points, pulling them from the bottom of the constructors' championship to a joint eighth position.