Albon collided with Ricciardo’s rear wheel at turn two of the Suzuka circuit, in an incident that occurred during the race. As a result, both cars hit the tire wall, leading to a red flag. Fortunately, both drivers emerged unscathed from the accident.
On the team radio, Albon expressed his frustration, stating: “He squeezed me and there was no space for me to maneuver.” He then managed to free himself from under the tires and the signage covering the front of his car.
In the Williams race report, Albon further explained: “Although I didn’t have a good start, being on hard tires gave me good traction at turn 2. I think Daniel [Ricciardo] didn’t see me and it became a pinch point… I tried to back off, but I couldn’t react quickly enough. It’s a tough pill to swallow, making this weekend incredibly frustrating and disappointing.”
Albon also described the impact with the tire wall, saying: “Although it wasn’t a serious accident, the way I hit the wall made the car grip and go underneath it. I stopped suddenly and forcefully, which certainly didn’t help with the damage to the car.”
After the race, Albon and Ricciardo met with the stewards. Ricciardo clarified that he had noticed car 18 (Lance Stroll) to his left and intended to give enough space for that car. However, he admitted that he didn’t see car 23 (Albon) to his right, as he was focused on the apex of turn 3.
The stewards classified the incident as a racing incident and refrained from penalizing either of the drivers.
This incident represents yet another challenge for Williams, as they currently do not have a spare chassis for the next race in China. Additionally, Ricciardo is under pressure as he has been outperformed by his less experienced teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, throughout the season. (Reported by John Geddie, written by Aadi Nair, Additional reporting by GrandPrix247)
