Daniel Ricciardo escapes punishment for collision in Japanese Grand Prix
Daniel Ricciardo escaped punishment for the collision that occurred on the first lap of the Japanese Grand Prix, which resulted in both him and Alex Albon exiting the race. The incident occurred when Ricciardo veered to the right and made contact with Albon’s car, causing both vehicles to collide into the barriers. Although neither driver was injured, the race had to be temporarily suspended for repairs to the barriers. Since both drivers were unable to continue, the incident was referred to a post-race hearing for further investigation.
In their decision, the stewards noted that both drivers had a similar understanding of the incident during the hearing. They also highlighted the influence of Lance Stroll’s proximity and the potential inside attack towards Ricciardo before the corner. According to Ricciardo, he saw Stroll on his left and intended to give him enough space, but did not see Albon on his right as he was focused on the apex of the corner. Albon, on the other hand, was trying to overtake on the outside, but realized that Ricciardo was not aware of his presence and ran out of time to react.
The stewards, including former Arrows F1 driver Enrique Bernoldi, determined that this was a first-lap incident and decided not to take any further action. However, they also specified that if the incident had occurred on a later lap or without the involvement of the third car, a different decision would have been made. The use of the word ‘or’ implies that Ricciardo could have faced penalties if not for the specific combination of circumstances that mitigated his actions.
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