- Daniel Ricciardo crashed during the Chinese Grand Prix
- The Australian was hit by Lance Stroll during the race
- Ricciardo was on course for a points finish before the incident
Daniel Ricciardo was on course for a points finish before a brutal setback hampered the Australian’s race at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Ricciardo was on the verge of finishing in the top 10 before Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll drove in behind him before the first safety car restarted, causing significant damage to his rear wing.
The incident was caused by Fernando Alonso blocking at the entry of the corner, causing the following cars to suddenly brake. Ricciardo hit Oscar Piastri’s diffuser before Stroll sent the rear of Ricciardo’s car into the air, such was the severity of the impact.
The Australian was unable to overcome the problem, complaining that he had ‘no rear end on exit’, and the team was forced to call him into the pits and retire the car.
It was another poor result for the Australian, amid a miserable return to Formula 1.
Daniel Ricciardo missed out on points due to an unfortunate collision in China
Lance Stroll drove in the back of Ricciardo’s RB car during the safety car stint
It marked another bad day for Ricciardo, who struggled for form
Ricciardo was given a lifeline by Christian Horner last year, when the 34-year-old joined Red Bull’s junior team AlphaTauri at the end of the 2023 season.
A wrist injury forced him out of the majority of his remaining races with Alpha, and his replacement, Liam Lawson, thrived in his absence.
Team bosses kept faith in Ricciardo to run in 2024, with AlphaTauri renamed RB, but his poor performances have led to speculation that Lawson could replace him on a full-time basis.