F1 recap: What went well, poorly for Red Bull Racing, AlphaTauri

With F1's technical regulations safe from a major overhaul this winter, Red Bull can rest easy knowing its 2024 car will be just as strong as its 2023 iteration. However, that doesn't mean the Austrian team is free from big changes in the offseason. Its driver pairing was criticized heavily in 2023, with veteran Mexican driver Perez failing to challenge Verstappen for the vast majority of the season. 

For Red Bull to be truly  competitive, it needs its drivers to challenge each other, too — and that might mean bidding farewell to Perez in favor of a sharper driver. The rumor mill points to Red Bull being interested in McLaren's Lando Norris and Alpha Tauri's Daniel Ricciardo.

AlphaTauri

Team result: Eighth

Driver results: 14th (Yuki Tsunoda), 17th (Daniel Ricciardo), 20th (Liam Lawson), 22nd (Nyck de Vries)

Best race result: Eighth (Tsunoda)

The sheer number of drivers AlphaTauri featured this season says it all. It clearly was not business as usual for Red Bull's sister team.

The season began following top driver Pierre Gasly's departure to Alpine. Secondary driver Tsunoda stepped up into the first seat, and F1 rookie de Vries took seat No. 2 after an impressive substitute performance in the 2022 Italian Grand Prix.

While Tsunoda shined this season outside of Gasly's spotlight, de Vries struggled to get points on the board. He was unceremoniously dropped by the team halfway through the season and replaced by reserve driver Ricciardo, who made an immediate positive impact on AlphaTauri's performance.

Unfortunately, Ricciardo suffered a broken hand and missed several mid-season races, but rookie replacement Lawson performed admirably in his place, impressing the whole F1 grid with his calm demeanor and sharp racecraft. ESPN voted Lawson its Unsung Hero of the 2023 F1 season.

Big changes are in store for AlphaTauri during the offseason. Having long sat in Red Bull's shadow, the team is planning a full branding overhaul, including a drastic name and logo change. It's also losing veteran team principal Franz Tost but picking up Ferrari hotshot Laurent Mekies as a replacement.

While it's tough to see the new-look AlphaTauri challenging the top four teams next season, there's a chance it will perform significantly better than it did in 2023. The car came alive in the back half of the season and looks stronger than it has in years.