Why AlphaTauri prefers Ricciardo's experience to young talent

By returning Daniel Ricciardo instead of choosing young, emerging talent, AlphaTauri's Formula 1 team is deviating from its usual course. Why was Ricciardo chosen and not a Red Bull Racing junior like Liam Lawson or Ayumu Iwasa?

Earlier, there was frequent talk about who could possibly take over Nyck de Vries ' F1 seat, should Helmut Marko decide to send the 28-year-old Dutchman home early. The Red Bull advisor himself still stated that Lawson and Iwasa would be at the front of the queue, as both drivers are "ready for Formula 1".

Lawson is currently doing very well in Japan's Super Formula class, while Iwasa is third in the Formula 2 championship. For Iwasa, a switch had not yet been possible; he has to finish his F2 season before he is eligible for his super licence. For Lawson, it would mean giving up his chance at the Super Formula title, but the New Zealander would be available for a switch to the king class.

Still, AlphaTauri's choice fell on a driver with more experience, in the person of none other than Ricciardo. Beyond the aforementioned practical reasons, there is more that made the team decide to forgo a line-up of young talents, as was usually the case in the past.

Combination of experience and young talent

AlphaTauri's change in direction may be related to the new Red Bull management's decision to keep the team rather than sell it. In 2024, the Italian racing stable will have a new identity, and that may also include a different approach in terms of the drivers who come out for the team. For now, AlphaTauri is opting for a combination of Ricciardo's experience and the young talent of Yuki Tsunoda, who seems to have put his learning phase behind him this year.

Ricciardo puts pressure on Perez

As soon as Ricciardo was roped in as Red Bull Racing's third driver after his failed adventure at McLaren, the pressure on Sergio Perez was immediately increased. After all, the good-humoured Australian has always expressed his desire to return to the F1 grid, and recently he even expressed hope of eventually making a return to Red Bull Racing to drive alongside his old teammate Max Verstappen.

And let this be the moment to put the pressure on the 33-year-old Mexican. Verstappen's team-mate has a contract until 2024, but Red Bull is known not to hesitate to demote drivers when they do not perform as they should. For Perez, it is now more important than ever to show he can connect with Verstappen, especially given Red Bull's praise for Ricciardo's pace during the Pirelli test.

Ricciardo has marketing value

Then there is another reason for Red Bull to give Ricciardo a permanent F1 seat: the eight-time race winner remains a crowd pleaser and is an absolute tastemaker in the many videos and other activities organised by the team. Moreover, many fans would be only too happy to see the 'dynamic duo' of Verstappen and Ricciardo return. A crucial period thus dawns for both Ricciardo and Perez, in which both drivers must prove that they deserve the seat next to the two-time world champion.