Daniel Ricciardo Issues Apology After Italian Grand Prix Blunder

Chris Ladd | Sep 5, 2024

5th placed qualifier Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Visa Cash App RB speaks to the media after qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 08, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec. / Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images

The Italian Grand Prix turned into a tough outing for Red Bull's sister team, VCARB, with Daniel Ricciardo enduring a frustrating race. Ricciardo faced two penalties that effectively ended any chance of securing points.

The first incident occurred on the opening lap when Ricciardo made contact with Nico Hülkenberg’s Haas while fighting for position. This minor wheel-banging resulted in Ricciardo being handed a five-second time penalty for causing the collision.

Unfortunately, things went from bad to worse during Ricciardo's pit stop, where a costly error occurred. His front jackman accidentally touched the car too soon while the five-second penalty was being served, a violation of the rules. As a result, Ricciardo was hit with an additional 10-second penalty, further compounding his problems and ruling out any hopes of a competitive finish.

Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda also had a challenging race, forced to retire due to floor damage, leaving the team with no points from the weekend. The combination of penalties and Tsunoda’s early retirement marked a disappointing race for the team at Monza.

“I think ultimately, we weren’t quick enough, like even without the penalties. For sure we tried, but I don’t think we were quick enough – Kevin [Magnussen] passed me on the medium and then drove away on the hards, and I think he had a penalty as well from what I heard at the end. Yeah, we weren’t quite fast enough,” said Ricciardo according to Formula1.com.

Ricciardo took full responsibility for the opening lap incident with Hülkenberg during the Italian Grand Prix. The Australian acknowledged his role in the collision and revealed that he sought out Hülkenberg after the race to explain his side of the incident and take ownership of his actions.

“Obviously I’m aware I’m fighting and there’s a car alongside me, but you don’t really know. Like I thought we were good and then I felt the contact, so I obviously immediately assumed I didn’t give him enough room," Ricciardo said. "So, I just wanted to know how bad it was, like was he half a car in the dirt or did he just grab a tyre. Yeah, it’s tough, you race hard but little things can make a difference so sorry for him.”

Tsunoda's race at the Italian Grand Prix came to a frustrating end after an incident involving Hülkenberg. A few laps after Ricciardo's contact, the German driver attempted a bold move down the inside of Tsunoda, but the move backfired as he locked up and collided with Tsunoda's car. The impact sent the Japanese driver off track, causing significant floor damage that ultimately forced him to retire from the race.

Afterwards, Tsunoda expressed his disappointment, explaining that the damage to his car was severe enough to make it undrivable. "The damage to the floor is just too much and yeah, undrivable, the damage was too big to keep racing," he remarked.

Tsunoda was understandably frustrated, as the incident effectively ended his race early, leaving him without the chance to compete for points. Had he crossed paths with Hülkenberg post-race, Tsunoda might have had some harsher words to share about the ill-fated move.

“I haven’t seen the replay, but for sure I saw him locking up into Turn 1 and I tried to escape and tried to give the space as much as possible but he just crashed into me so the race was pretty much, that was it – so an unnecessary move from him," Tsunoda added.

Tsunoda's misfortune at Monza continued this year, adding to a string of bad luck at the Italian Grand Prix. Last year, he didn't even get the chance to start the race due to technical issues, and now this year, a collision with Nico Hülkenberg forced him to retire early with significant floor damage.

In his four appearances at Monza, Tsunoda has only managed to see the chequered flag once, a frustrating track record for the Japanese driver. Despite Monza being one of Formula 1's most iconic circuits, it has become a place of tough luck for Tsunoda, who will undoubtedly be hoping for a change of fortune in future races at the Temple of Speed.