Malaysia’s big winner … Daniel Ricciardo?

The big winner in this weekend’s second round of the 2013 Formula 1 season wasn’t race winner Sebastian Vettel or even the resurgent Mercedes, resplendent as they were in a validating 3^rd and 4^th position. Rather, the big winner in Malaysia just might have been Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo, who finished 18^th, retiring his Toro Rosso after 51 laps. 

 Come again?

A rather lively Malaysian Grand Prix became even more riveting after the final pit stops as the 1^st and 2^nd place Red Bulls of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel, along with the 3^rd and 4^th place Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, were ordered by team leadership to conserve both fuel and tires and ensure the cars made it to the finish with maximum points toward the ever important Constructors’ World Championship. The dutiful soldiers Webber, Hamilton and Rosberg obeyed. Vettel did not, racing Webber, taking the position, and driving off to victory.

One need not make a career of observing human behavior to recognize Webber was incensed at his teammate’s autonomously made decision to rebuke team orders. On the post-race podium, after ignoring Vettel in the celebratory spraying of the Moet champagne, Webber even went so far as to suggest Vettel would be “protected as usual,” a reference to Vettel’s preferred standing in the team.

Red Bull certainly gives Webber his best chance at Formula 1 victories, but not his only chance. As he will never usurp wunderkind Vettel as the team’s number one driver, and as assuredly the team will not voluntarily depart ways with the defending 3-time World Champion and 27 race winner Vettel, Webber is racing for racing sake and the opportunity for ever-so-difficult-to-come by F1 race victories, and with nary a realistic thought of winning a World Championship.

With an already tense and somewhat fractious relationship between Webber and Vettel, Malaysia may very well have been the final straw, the one that broke the camel’s back. With a one year contract, Webber is most likely gone at the conclusion of the current season, either through his own impetus or with a gentle push from the team. With a departure by Webber, a seat at Red Bull, the defending 3-time Constructors’ World Champion becomes available.

All that supposition brings us to Ricciardo, one of two drivers (along with Jean-Éric Vergne) of Toro Rosso, Red Bull’s de facto “junior team.” Ricciardo has made no secret of his ambitions for 2013:  Outrace teammate Vergne and secure a ride with Red Bull for 2014. Malaysia’s intra-team fireworks gives him the opening to squeeze into.

It’s now up to Ricciardo, a driver who routinely outpaces his teammate Vergne in qualifying, to press to the most of his abilities. At stake is a ride in a car fully capable of race wins and championships. Granted, 2014 brings new technical specifications for the teams, perhaps leveling the field. But with the wizardry of Adrian Newey being sketched on the whiteboard, is there a team better positioned for success than Red Bull?

Three cheers to this weekend’s podium finishers, Vettel, Webber and Hamilton. But, save the biggest cheer for perhaps the weekend’s big winner, 18^th place Daniel Ricciardo.   

Rub wheels on Twitter @RayHartjen