Daniel Ricciardo will serve a grid place penalty after his crash with Kevin Magnussen that saw both out of the Formula 1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix before a lap had been completed.
Ricciardo touched the rear of Magnussen’s Haas midway around the opening lap, pitching it into a spin.
Facing the wrong direction, it then rolled backwards into the McLaren as it passed, eliminating both drivers on the spot.
Investigated post-race, Stewards handed Ricciardo a three-place grid penalty for next weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and two points on his Super Licence.
“Ricciardo made contact with Magnussen at Turn 8 on lap one, which caused Magnussen to spin, and subsequently both cars crashed,” the Stewards’ report noted.
“McLaren explained that in their view Magnussen was slower at the exit of turn eight than the other cars ahead, which made it difficult to judge the closing rate, as the two cars interacted. Ricciardo explained that in his view, he had slowed sufficiently that he was not going to collide with Magnussen and that he slightly misjudged it.
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“The Stewards acknowledged that the incident was not reckless.
“However, they determined that the incident was between two cars and was not influenced by multiple other cars and is therefore not a ‘first lap incident’.
“The Stewards determined that Magnussen drove in a normal manner for that corner, and that he did not make any erratic moves.
“Thus the Stewards determine that Ricciardo was wholly to blame for the incident and issue a drop of three grid places for the next event.”
Having climbed out of the car, an apologetic Ricciardo approached Magnussen before fronting the media upon his return to the paddock.
“It certainly bottled up,” he explained.
“I remember getting into [Turn] 8, I had a look on the inside. Kevin closed, so I protected the line, tried to pull back behind, but I didn’t honestly expect to make contact.
“I don’t know if I could have done more or if it was the angle he came back on, but it doesn’t change both of us ending our race.
“Not blaming anyone but more sad we’re both out. That’s a painful way to end the weekend.”
The impact with Magnussen was comparatively light, and were it not for the Haas rolling backwards the pair might well have continued in the race.
“I’ll be honest, I was very surprised to see him spin,” Ricciardo said.
“I remember I could feel the touch, it literally felt like a touch but it was just the angle.
“Maybe he was trying to prepare the exit a bit too much and cut back, but that angle tipped the rear over.
“As soon as I saw him spinning I was already, let’s say, disappointed.
“I was probably looking at a penalty, whoever’s fault it was, and thereafter I tried to avoid it [the secondary crash].
“It was a very small incident with massive consequences.
“At the end of the day, if it’s my fault, I’ll put my hand up.
“It felt too small to have both of us with the damage we had.”
“It’s the worst because you prepare so much for a race, and when it’s over like that, it’s the most frustrating feeling,” he added of his early exit.
“You wish these things don’t happen but it’s part of racing.
“I’m, for sure, disappointed.”
Without a drive for 2023, next weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is, for the moment, set to be Ricciardo’s last Formula 1 race.
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