Ricciardo unloads on Stroll after F1 Chinese Grand Prix crash
The Formula One Chinese Grand Prix was won by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen on Sunday, with teammate Sergio Perez finishing third and McLaren’s Lando Norris taking home second.
However, it was the crash between RB’s Daniel Ricciardo and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll that had tongues wagging after the chequered flag was waved.
On the 33rd lap of the race, after the race resumed under a safety car, a quartet of drivers consisting of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, Mercedes’ George Russell, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, Ricciardo and Stroll approached turn 14.
Alonso appeared to lock up with the five racing in single file, forcing them all to slam on their brakes.
Australians Piastri and Ricciardo responded where Stroll failed and proceeded to make heavy contact with the rear of Ricciardo’s car, lifting the back wheels from the ground and ultimately forcing the former Chinese GP winner to retire from the race.
Upon review of the incident, race stewards used timing and marshalling system data to conclude that Stroll was to blame for the incident, handing him a 10-second penalty for the race and two penalty points for the Drivers’ Championship.
The stewards said Stroll “ought to have anticipated the pace of the cars in front, particularly Car 3 (Ricciardo), and should have prepared to brake accordingly.
“Had (he) done that, (he) would have avoided the collision. Hence (Stroll) was predominantly to blame for the collision that ultimately led to (Ricciardo) having to retire from the race.”
Stroll disagreed in his post-race press conference.
“Someone braked at the front of the pack, I don’t know who. And then everyone stops,” he said.
“The car in front of me just stopped from like 60 (kph) to zero – so a really stupid incident.
“I got a penalty because of the end result, that I hit Ricciardo.
“But it’s not like everyone was normal and I just slammed into the back of him.”
Stroll’s comments angered an already frustrated Ricciardo post-race.
“What made my blood boil is I watched his onboard, to just see it from his perspective — and as soon as we start braking, you can see his helmet turn right and he’s looking at the apex of turn 14, he’s not even watching me,” Ricciardo said.
“And then when he looks back, he’s in the back of me.
“I don’t know what he’s doing, where his head is, but all he has to do is worry about me in that situation, and he clearly wasn’t.
“Let’s see what he says in the media, but if he comes after me, then I’ll say more.”
It was Ricciardo’s best opportunity to win points in the Drivers’ Championship this season and improve from 18th position, while Stroll now sits in 10th.
The pair will now look forward to the Miami Grand Prix on May 6 (AEST), where Stroll (+25000) and Ricciardo (+50000) are long shots with online bookmakers to beat three-time world champion Verstappen (-625).
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