Daniel Ricciardo, the driver of the RB car, revealed that a clutch issue was the cause of his early start at the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix. As a result, he was penalized with a five-second time reduction. This incident marked the first penalty under the FIA crackdown on early starts, as Ricciardo’s car was deemed to have moved before the start signal was given. Despite initially being confused by the penalty, Ricciardo later learned from his race engineer, Pierre Hamelin, that it was due to a technical problem. Specifically, there was an issue with the clutch or something related to it, leading to this setback.
The RB team has been facing inconsistent starts throughout the season, and team principal Laurent Mekies revealed that Ricciardo’s car moved due to a slightly dragging clutch.
Ricciardo’s position dropped to tenth after serving his penalty during the first Safety Car period on lap 26. He lost another position when Alex Albon overtook him during the restart.
“After we stopped to put on intermediate tires, we lost some positions to the cars that stayed out. Unfortunately, we couldn’t make much progress with the new intermediate tires,” he explained.
As a result, the race was slipping away from Ricciardo’s hands.
However, Albon’s race came to an end when Carlos Sainz collided with his Williams while spinning. Meanwhile, Ricciardo’s teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, also suffered a setback when he went off track on the wet grass while cutting Turn 8.
Ricciardo made a pass on Esteban Ocon of Alpine on track, allowing him to climb back into the pack and secure eighth place. This marked his first points finish in a grand prix event in 2024.
“As the track dried up at the end, we managed to overtake some cars,” he added. “It was satisfying to finish with four points and achieve that.”
Recognizing the challenging conditions, Ricciardo admitted that it was difficult for everyone to get it right.
“We will continue to seek improvements and cleaner performances. However, considering the circumstances, we can be satisfied with the points we earned in a race like this,” he concluded.
Ricciardo expressed his satisfaction in converting his promising starting position into a score, especially in the face of criticism he received from former Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve during the weekend.
“It was a good weekend,” he expressed enthusiastically. “These weekends can be the toughest, especially when things are not going well or when you lose momentum. We faced all kinds of conditions this weekend.”
“So, it was good to have a race from start to finish, keeping the car on track and maintaining a consistent and smooth performance,” he continued.
“We needed this result, and I won’t say anything else to the critics. It’s good, and we’ll keep it discreet. But yes, I am happy.”
