Daniel Ricciardo has apologised for language he used in remarks criticising the editorial approach to Formula 1’s highlight reels on social media that he believes puts too much emphasis on crashes.
The McLaren driver said he’s “certainly got to be better with my choice of words” after being “too aggressive” after expressing his dissatisfaction with Formula One Management’s use of crash footage.“Even if I feel at the time it might be out of context, I know that it’s going to get pushed and so I should do better with that,” he said in the FIA press conference at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.
But while apologising for calling F1’s social channel administrators “fucking idiots” in a recent interview, Ricciardo stood by his criticism of their output.
“Taking that direct comment away from it, I guess what I’m trying to get at is I feel like last year, as an example, was such an amazing year for F1. There was so many different podium-getters. There was a lot of exciting races. I certainly wouldn’t put it under a boring season.
“And I just felt like there was probably more room to expose the highs of the sport and the great achievements of a lot of individual drivers and individual performances and some spectacular overtakes… I felt like there was better stories to be told as opposed to just crashes.
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[/CBC][CBC show="y" country="uk"][/CBC]“This is obviously my opinion, but I feel our sport is better than that. I feel like we’re better than just showing crashes. And I think there’s other [sports], whether it’s other categories or other types of sport or disciplines, to kind of show that level of highlights.”
Ricciardo added it reflected badly on the drivers as well as the F1 brand.
“We are the most talented drivers in the world and we’re driving these amazing cars. So normally a crash is showing less of our talents.
“I just feel it’s probably the way the sport is perceived, and we are perceived as drivers. We absolutely make mistakes, but I would probably highlight the highs more if I had creative control.”
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Klon (@)
15th April 2021, 17:28
Aw, come on. Don’t apologise for telling it like it is. Kindness towards the ignorant is the downfall of civilisation.
Dave
16th August 2021, 9:18
And you left. We don’t want to listen to you anymore.
Dick Dawson
15th April 2021, 17:28
He is correct.
Retired (@jeff1s)
15th April 2021, 17:35
English isn’t is native language 😆
I guess somebody at FOM told him to ease down
erikje
16th April 2021, 14:38
you lost me there ;)
Mr David Dewis
15th April 2021, 17:56
I respect what Daniel is saying, but he’s not living in the real world. “Car crashes“ is one of the most search terms on YouTube. There was a reason for that. The FIA was attempting to advertise the sport. Guess what gets the most attention? It’s simply a numbers game. Paired up with the fact that a lot of new fans have come into the sport via Netflix. Drive to survive has given the impression that drivers are constantly at the limit, and crashes are commonplace. Imagine how disappointing it must be to a certain type of viewer, to tune in and watch two hours of cars following each other, with no incident. Also bear in mind that some of the best racing that we have had in the last few seasons have been due to safety cars bunching up the field towards the end of the race. Whatever way you look at it, crashes are as much a part of motorsport as overtaking is.
Sergey Martyn
15th April 2021, 18:39
Daniel, didn’t you forget to take a knee while apologizing?
What a hogwash…
F1 soon will become a bleating herd of political nonsense.
And I hope this will either end it’s existence because the welfare recipients won’t care about it or finally it come to senses…
Dave
15th April 2021, 19:25
Drivers take a knee before the race. That’s what I know, enemy.
Sergey Martyn
15th April 2021, 20:28
Oh yeah, as Elbert Hubbard once said: An enemy is anyone who tells the truth about you.
Dave
15th April 2021, 20:53
And I don’t care.
mia
16th April 2021, 12:38
Oh yes. You do. Very much. And it shows.
Dave
24th April 2021, 11:35
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you can keep talking. I didn’t hear that.
Dave
24th April 2021, 17:45
mia, stop talking. You failed to killshot me.
Dave
13th June 2021, 23:02
“oH yEs. YoU dO. vErY mUcH. aNd It ShOwS.”
WHAT YOU SAY, MIA? WHAT YOU SAY MIA, HUH?! YOU WANNA TALK TO ME LIKE THIS?! YOU THINK I CARE ABOUT WHAT HE SAYS TO ME, HUH?! YOU FAILED TO KILLSHOT ME, YOU ARE A TOTAL FAILURE.”
Dave
12th September 2021, 11:18
Just coming back here to remind you that I’m still alive and not killed by you. —- YOU —- YOU —- YOU —- YOU
Dave
12th September 2021, 11:19
But from the protagonists’ point of view, he doesn’t care and he thinks it’s lies!
Dave
15th September 2021, 20:38
just coming back here because i’m still alive. there’s two rules when replying to me: don’t reply to me, follow rule 1.
Dave
17th July 2021, 20:18
“Suckers.” – Sergey Martyn on everyone, probably
Robbie (@robbie)
15th April 2021, 19:09
I still say where DR is a bit wrong is that showing RG’s crash was actually a high point in a way, in terms of how strong the cars are and in terms of the good news story of how well RG survived it. I don’t think the crash has to be looked upon as a negative, and certainly if it has been played too much for DR’s liking that is indeed because the crash had a positive outcome. Had it not had such a positive outcome of course it would not have been replayed and dwelt upon anywhere near as much, if at all, imho.
Zachary (@daytek)
15th April 2021, 20:06
While I agree that they should showcase the impressive safety of current day F1 cars, they way they portrayed it in Drive to Survive was very theatrical and not the best way to go about it…
MJA
16th April 2021, 9:37
AHH, the fake commentary. Why do they do it?!
StefMeister (@stefmeister)
15th April 2021, 21:15
@robbie I think showing replays is fine, I think back during the live broadcast they maybe showed it a few times more than was really necessary but actually showing the various available angles is fine.
I agree with @daytek thought with regards to drive to survive. They even played in a sound effect of a women screaming over one of the shots & made it seem like Romain was stuck in the car for significantly longer than he actually was. That whole sequence in that episode was edited & framed in a way that was very action movie.
It’s the sort of thing that highlights why I can’t say I especially like that show, Especially seasons 2/3 which did more of that sort of thing that it felt season 1 did.
Robbie (@robbie)
15th April 2021, 21:26
@stefmeister Fair comment. I didn’t see the show but I think I saw a clip someone link me to that must have been from the show now that you mention it. I do hear you about the Hollywood aspect of it, but then, I don’t know, they have to make it a show right? I’m not all that bent out of shape about that as I think that just comes with the territory. There’s lots of interesting inside stuff you get from the show too, and one thing I gleaned from the accident footage is what a family the F1 circus is when it comes down to tough things like this. It suddenly doesn’t come down to them being rivals anymore, and are suddenly pulling for each other instead when they are faced with adversity together.
JohnH (@johnrkh)
15th April 2021, 22:48
@robbie Drive to survive is a soap opera not a documentary, it has definitely increased the number of viewers. How many off them will stick around once they realise that F1 is not about 100% action 100% of the time but a battle of tactics over the season. I’m not against Drive to Survive I do watch it, but the dramatisation does get a bit tedious and changing of the time line definitely changes the perspective of what’s actually happening.
Imo they went to far with the Grosjean crash showing it several times from multiple angles and it was made to look like something out of a Hollywood movie.
Darryn Smith (@darryn)
15th April 2021, 21:50
Weak. Maybe it’s time to move on to bullfighting. If only they would take the padding off the horses.
Michael A.
15th April 2021, 23:50
Here in Melbourne (Victoria, Australia) on the Channel 10 so-called ‘highlights’ of a recent Canadian Grand Prix, about all we saw on TV was Lance Stroll having a great off-the-track incident, repeated ad nauseum. Not much of the race at all.
Very sad for me that the Canadian GP may be dropped.
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
16th April 2021, 11:39
Daniel went too far in his choice of insult towards the powers-that-be, so I am pleased to see he walked back that part of his comments.
I hope that the powers-that-be also learn from their part in the problem, and recognise that crashes have to be handled carefully if they are to be part of the way F1 markets itself. Some people like crashes, but a lot of F1’s actual and potential audience does not, and even those who do need it presenting carefully if they are not to be put off. (Note that different parts of the “F1 crashes are great” audience have different and in some cases incompatible requirements for the “careful” element. Good luck reconciling those who won’t watch a crash if it looks too manipulated, those who won’t watch if it’s too big and those who won’t watch if it is too small…)
Dave
14th June 2021, 1:18
Can Mia ever win? No. 1-0 to me HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA