Ricciardo Apologises to Hulkenberg After Italian GP Clash; RB’s Race Marred by Penalties and Incidents

Daniel Ricciardo discusses incident with Nico Hulkenberg: "I believed there was enough room; I've said sorry"

Daniel Ricciardo addresses collision with Haas during the F1 Italian Grand Prix

Daniel Ricciardo has stated that he offered an apology to Nico Hulkenberg following their collision on the first lap of the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix.

During the initial lap of Sunday's race at Monza, Red Bull's Ricciardo was engaged in a mid-field contest with Hulkenberg when they collided at the eighth corner.

Ricciardo believed there was enough room, yet experienced a collision – leading to Hulkenberg's Haas being pushed onto the gravel and subsequently losing a position to his teammate Kevin Magnussen.

The individual from Australia received a penalty of five seconds for the event but subsequently faced a harsher 10-second penalty because a mechanic made contact with his vehicle during the time he was fulfilling the initial penalty during his pitstop.

Ricciardo concluded a difficult home event for the RB team in 13th place.

"In the end, our speed just wasn't sufficient today, penalties aside," he remarked.

"We gave it our best, and initially, I found the side-by-side racing exhilarating. However, I ended up colliding with Nico at Turn 8."

"After the race, I had a conversation with him. I believed there was enough distance between us, but after feeling the contact, I realized I hadn't allowed sufficient space. I offered my apologies for the incident."

"Competing is challenging because the tiniest details can have a significant impact."

"Afterward, the car seemed fine, and we gave it our all with the resources at our disposal. From Friday afternoon until today, my goal was to extract every bit of performance possible from the vehicle."

"I personally feel much improved this weekend, and we were on the verge of earning points."

Tsunoda Ends Race Disappointed

The course of RB's Italian Grand Prix was "controlled by Hulkenberg", stated team Laurent Mekies, following an incident where the Haas driver collided with Yuki Tsunoda, leading to the premature conclusion of the race for the driver from Japan.

Tsunoda expressed dissatisfaction, lamenting that his race ended just a few laps in after a collision with Nico.

"I made an effort to maintain ample distance, yet it appeared he became immobilized, leading to a loss of control and subsequently colliding with me."

"Regrettably, we were forced to withdraw the car due to sustaining damage to the undercarriage."

Immediately, I sensed something was off and attempted to keep going, yet the car was skidding and I just couldn't control it.

"Up next for us are Baku and Singapore, where our car is expected to excel, leading us to anticipate successful weekends."

Mekies' disappointment with the Tsunoda situation arises because he missed out on crucial time on the track in the newly improved RB vehicle that was introduced at Monza.

"Regarding the race that took place today, it can be asserted that Hulkenberg played a dominant role. Daniel received a five-second penalty for pushing him off the track. Following this, Nico collided with Yuki, which resulted in the decision to retire the car," he stated.

The most disheartening element of Yuki's retirement is the forfeiture of 40 laps, which would have enhanced our comprehension of the new changes we implemented at this venue.

Daniel was subsequently penalized with an additional 10 seconds since the initial penalty was not properly implemented.

"In light of recent events, it's crucial for us to reassess our methods and take lessons from the error made today. While such incidents are part of the process, it's important to note that our pit crew's performance has been outstanding for the most part this year."

Explore Further

Recent Updates

Recent Updates

Site Navigation

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

Copying or replicating any part or all of the text, photos, or images in any manner is strictly prohibited.