'Absolutely flying': Daniel Ricciardo turns back the clock at Mexican Grand Prix
Daniel Ricciardo produced a vintage performance to redeem himself after ending a rival's race at the Mexican Grand Prix.
Matthew Sullivan
2 min read
October 31, 2022 - 5:59AM
Daniel Ricciardo has still got it.
The Australian turned in a vintage drive at the Mexican Grand Prix on Monday morning (AEDT), overcoming a 10-second time penalty to finish seventh.
It was an uneventful race in Mexico City until an overly ambitious Ricciardo lunged to overtake Yuki Tsunoda but clipped the AlphaTauri, sending him off the track and out of the race.
Watch Every Practice, Qualifying & Race of the 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship™ Live on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
Ricciardo was in 12th at the time and any hopes of finishing in the points seemed to be dashed when he was handed a 10-second time penalty for causing the incident.
But he then turned on the afterburners on fresh soft tyres and flew through the field to redeem himself and ensure the sanction didn't affect his final result.
McLaren told Lando Norris to let his teammate through before Ricciardo produced a run of sensational overtakes - passing Valtteri Bottas and Alpine duo Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon in the space of a couple of laps.
Danny Ric has still got it. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Ricciardo drove the wheels off his McLaren. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images )
“It has really fired him up, fired him up in a treat,” Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle said.
“He’s a candidate for driver of the day with all the overtaking he’s doing. He’s so charged up.”
David Croft added: "Welcome back Daniel, we missed you,” commentator David Croft said.
“He’s driven with fire in the belly. Completely different to the United States just a week ago.”
Alonso crashed out, triggering a very brief Virtual Safety Car period. But Ricciardo wouldn't be denied of a top 10 finish, producing lightning quick lap times to put more than 10 seconds between himself and Ocon in eighth.
It was a throwback performance by Ricciardo, who was recognised by F1 supporters with the fan-voted 'driver of the day' award.
Max Verstappen led from start to finish in another flawless race to claim a record-breaking 14th victory of the season, surpassing the previous best tally of 13 wins he jointly held with Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel for one week.
Lewis Hamilton was second and Sergio Perez finished third at his home Grand Prix in Mexico.
Mexican Grand Prix results (Top 10)
1) Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2) Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
3) Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
4) George Russell (Mercedes)
5) Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
6) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
7) Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren)
8) Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
9) Lando Norris (McLaren)
10) Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo)
Max Verstappen claimed a recordbreakingi4th victory of the season in Mexico. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Updates
Alonso out
Fernando Alonso is out of the race after his Alpine failed on him and he went off the track at Turn 1.
It triggered a Virtual Safety Car, which was fortunate for Ricciardo because a Safety Car would have condensed the field and prevented Ricciardo from redeeming himself for the time penalty.
He's putting together some quick lap times in a vintage performance here.
Safety car would have been the worst for Danny Ric – squashing the pack up and making his ten second penalty worse… but now a virtual safety car doesn't affect him so much! #F1#MexicoGP
Ricciardo is now in a race with himself to hold 7th! 45s behind Sainz in 6th and a 10s gap to open up on Ocon to cancel out his time penalty. Most exciting thing to happen all #MexicoGP#F1
Max Verstappen is cruising to victory out in front.
Ricciardo absolutely flying
Daniel Ricciardo is a man on a mission and he's absolutely flying through the field after copping that 10-second penalty.
McLaren told Lando Norris to let him through, then he passed Valtteri Bottas and both Alpine drivers Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon in the space of one lap.
Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle said: "Ricciardo is absolutely flying along since he tipped the AlphaTauri out of the race.
"It's really fired him up. Daniel flying along."
Ricciardo just picking off everybody in his path right now. Needs to make up ground with that penalty to come. #F1#MexicoGP
Daniel Ricciardo has some decent pace today and has achieved a rare overtake on his McLaren teammate Lando Norris with 15 laps to go.
He is in 10th but will need to pass Esteban Ocon and Valtteri Bottas to try and make up for his 10-second time penalty and finish in the points.
Ricciardo has just gone ahead of Norris and into the top ten, but his penalty will ruin his day. He'd been in with a good chance of solid points chasing down Bottas and Ocon #F1#MexicoGP
Daniel Ricciardo will likely be penalised after bumping Yuki Tsunoda off the track while attempting an overtake on Turn 6.
Ricciardo had been hot on Tsunoda's tail but didn't leave the AlphaTauri enough room on the corner.
Tsunoda crawled back to the garage and couldn't continue. Ricciardo has copped a 10-second time penalty for causing the incident. A top 10 finish could be out of reach now.
Tsunoda was understandably furious over team radio.
After moving up as high as seventh place, Daniel Ricciardo finally pitted for soft tyres and fell down to 13th. He's now 12th and the race is on to see if he can finish in the points.
Max Verstappen leads ahead of Lewis Hamilton, Sergio Perez and George Russell.
There is yet to be a safety car in a rather uneventful race.
It's pit stop time
George Russell hasn't pitted yet and leads the race as Mercedes ahead of Verstappen, Hamilton and Perez, who have all pitted for fresh tyres.
Daniel Ricciardo is up into ninth as drivers come in for pit stops. He might have to don a one-stop race to have any chance of finishing in the top 10.
Verstappen and Hamilton go head-to-head
Ricciardo has overtaken Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu to move back up to 12th.
It will be an interesting battle between Verstappen and Hamilton up front, with Red Bull (soft) and Mercedes (medium) opting for different tyre strategies across the 71-lap race.
Race gets underway
It's lights out and away we go.
The Mexican Grand Prix has started without any crashes with Max Verstappen in the lead ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who has jumped ahead of his Mercedes teammate George Russell.
Sergio Perez is up into third and Russell is in fourth.
Lance Stroll gained five places on the first lap to move from last to 15th.
Daniel Ricciardo started 11th but has dropped to 13th.
Red Bull boycott TV coverage
Red Bull has reportedly boycotted Sky Sports' TV coverage and is refusing to have its drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, as well as team principal Christian Horner interviewed by the broadcaster.
The move is in response to pit lane reporter Ted Kravitz using the word "robbed" to described Lewis Hamilton's fortunes in last year's controversial championship decider.
Red Bull's move follows comments Kravitz made in his ‘Ted’s Notebook’ segment from the United States Grand Prix in which he spoke about “what a script” it would have been had Hamilton beaten Verstappen at the Circuit of the Americas.
Hamilton came second behind Verstappen last weekend and is still chasing his first victory of the season.
“Seven-time world champion – I almost said eight-time world champion – seven-time world champion goes into the final race trying to be the greatest of all time, and win (the) championship.
“He gets robbed, comes back, his next year’s car is rubbish… doesn’t win a race all year, and then finally comes back at a track where he could win the first race all year, battling the same guy who won the race he was robbed in the previous year, and manages to finish ahead of him.
Red Bull isn't happy with comments made by Sky Sports commentator Ted Kravitz. (Photo by Vladimir Rys/Getty Images)
“What a script and a story that would have been. But that’s not the way the script turned out, was it?
“Because the guy that beat him after being robbed actually overtook him, because he’s got a quicker car, because of engineering and Formula One and design, and pretty much because of (Adrian Newey, Red Bull’s design guru) over there.”
Red Bull is also believed to be refusing to be interviewed by Sky Sports Germany and Italy.
The move hasn't gone down too well with F1 fans.
So Max and Christian have boycotted Sky Sports F1 because they don’t like Ted’s reporting? Poor babies. Going to be a much more enjoyable coverage without them #f1
So Verstappen and Red Bull are boycotting Sky Sports because Ted Kravitz said Hamilton was robbed in 2021, which he was. Obviously it takes the shine off Max’s maiden title, but fact Lewis was robbed isn’t exactly a pop at RB — more the FIA. The boycott feels very playground.
