Daniel Ricciardo has been given a three-place grid drop for the next race and penalty points on his licence for colliding with Kevin Magnussen during the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Magnussen was tipped into a spin by Ricciardo at turn eight on the first lap of the race. As Magnussen’s car spun around, it swung into the McLaren, and the contact put both drivers out.The stewards spoke to both drivers and examined footage and data from the incident. They decided Ricciardo was entirely responsible for the collision, but accepted he had not driven recklessly.
“Ricciardo made contact with Magnussen at turn eight on lap one, which caused Magnussen to spin, and subsequently both cars crashed,” they explained. “McLaren explained that in their view Magnussen was slower at the exit of turn eight than the other cars ahead, which made it difficult to judge the closing rate, as the two cars interacted.
“Ricciardo explained that in his view, he had slowed sufficiently that he was not going to collide with Magnussen and that he slightly misjudged it.
“The stewards acknowledged that the incident was not reckless. However, they determined that the incident was between two cars and was not influenced by multiple other cars and is therefore not a ‘first lap incident.’ The stewards determined that Magnussen drove in a normal manner for that corner, and that he did not make any erratic moves.
“Thus the stewards determine that Ricciardo was wholly to blame for the incident and issue a drop of three grid places for the next event.”
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Ricciardo’s grid drop will be applied at the final race of the season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which will also be his last appearance for McLaren.
Ricciardo said there was little more he could have done to avoid the contact. “I had a decent run through [turns] six and seven and I remember cutting back to the inside for eight. I was kind of having a look, but also just trying to brake with a little bit of clean air.
“Then I remember then Kevin protecting the line, so I was then just trying to pull back in line and follow suit. I remember pulling up a bit and then obviously I think part of the apex, that’s when I gave him a little touch.
“To be honest, it didn’t feel like much. But then as soon as I saw him start to slide, I was like, ‘oh’. And then the second part, obviously, that’s when we made bigger contact.
“I don’t know if, let’s say, I could’ve braked harder or more, or if it was just the way he squared up the corner and the angle, I don’t know. But also I’m not here to say it’s his fault, my fault, I mean if it’s my fault of course I apologise, but it’s more just sorry for both of us for not being in the race and sorry for our team, that’s the part that hurts the most. Lap one incidents they’re certainly the worst.”
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2022 Brazilian Grand Prix
- Surprise Brazil pole showed Magnussen rebounded from mid-season “struggle”
- Verstappen attacks “disgusting” reaction to Brazil team orders row
- Did Hamilton’s 10th tangle with Verstappen show he’s being “more aggressive” now?
- Ferrari examining process which led to Leclerc tyre choice “mistake”
- Whatever triggered it, Verstappen’s defiance of his own team makes little sense
Niefer (@niefer)
13th November 2022, 22:04
Ricciardo’s spell at McLaren was quite something. Be glad he still walked away with a win.
DaveW (@dmw)
13th November 2022, 22:05
What a way to go out. Thankfully Norris made a similarly dotish move and then retired to sort of save his blushes.
MJA
13th November 2022, 22:20
I think both of those incidents were caused by understeery, difficult-to-drive Mclarens.
That car is not one of their best. I hope things get better.
Jere (@jerejj)
14th November 2022, 11:10
@MJA That might be true, but they should know their cars’ limits enough to back off.
azanardi
13th November 2022, 23:21
Russell was given a 5s penalty for killing Sainz’s race in Austin GP, and managed to finish 5th.
Ricciardo has been given a three-place grid drop for doing the same to Magnussen, both ended their race there.
These were 1st lap incidents.
Norris has been given 5s penalty for almost destroying Leclerc’s race, and DNF due technical issues several laps later.
This was after a safety car restart.
The 3 accidents look similar to me, but they have very different punishments. So unfair these inconsistencies.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
14th November 2022, 6:54
It’s not inconsistent, it’s because of what happened: if a car retires, they give 3 place grid drop as the most lenient, as it can’t be given during the race; if the car continues 5 sec is most lenient.
MacLeod (@macleod)
14th November 2022, 8:07
Esploratore is correct if a driver can’t serve the 5 second penaulty he gets a griddrop next time. As he was out he gets a griddrop.
EffWunFan (@cairnsfella)
14th November 2022, 0:08
Whilst I am not contesting the penalty and agree (for what my opinion is worth) that DR was at fault, it did appear to me during the in race replays, that KM did slow notably more than the surrounding cars.
The stewards have noted that KM was driving in a ‘normal manner’ though, so I guess everyone around him must have been going a little faster than usual.
AlanD
14th November 2022, 1:12
I too thought Magnussen seemed a little slow there, but when the cars are that close together, even tiny changes can result in hits. To be fair to Ricciardo, it only seemed to be the lightest of touches in the initial contact, probably didn’t cause any damage. After that it was just bad luck that the spin brought the two cars back together again in a way which wrecked both cars. It seemed to me that the Hamilton Verstappen collision was much more of an avoidable accident, so on that basis, the Ricciardo penalty seems harsh.
Claus J
14th November 2022, 12:50
KM was on mediums, everybody else on fasts. He couldn’t be as fast, especially not in one of the slowest cars on the grid…
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
14th November 2022, 0:26
When do those penalty points expire?
When is his next Grand Prix, after Abu Dhabi?
Duh!
AlanD
14th November 2022, 1:15
Bullfrog, good point. I thought penalty points expired after 12 months. I suppose it is possible that he could be a stand-in driver if someone has appendicitis in the first race of 23, for example, in which case penalty points might come into play.
Duncan Idaho (@didaho)
14th November 2022, 1:19
I was going to say how unlikely appendicitis is but given how common it seems to be in the paddock this year, is it a euphemism for another, quite contagious malady?
AlanD
14th November 2022, 2:04
Duncan, you should get really suspicious if a driver has appendicitis a second time.
Hiland (@flyingferrarim)
14th November 2022, 4:16
Very clumsy incident by Danny here. Unfortunately, its become a regular things for him this season. I like him but I think he’s fallen a lot since leaving Renault.
Matthijs (@matthijs)
14th November 2022, 10:25
It was a minor tap with major consequences. Had Magnussen been able to save the car then no penalty points were applied. Shame that the penalty points are given based on the consequences rather than on the action itself.
Second, Ricciardo was responsible for Magnussen’s spin, but Magnussen himself was predominantly to blame for his and Ricciardo’s retirement. Why did he cross the track backwards instead of stamping the brakes? Good thing he took out only Ricciardo.
Claus J
14th November 2022, 13:06
Magnussen did brake. During the spin he seems to try to stop the spin by easing the brakes in short spurts, but during the backwards motion he is sliding, not rolling. In fact he travels sideways into Riccardo, not backwards… Riccardo, btw, did nothing to avoid colliding with the spinning car in front of him !
I don’t get how anybody but Riccardo could be blamed for that crash – least of all the guy in the spinning, sliding car.
Jere (@jerejj)
14th November 2022, 11:08
Ricciardo’s clumsiness stroke again.
DB-C90 (@dbradock)
15th November 2022, 0:08
I doubt that Dan really cares at this point.
Expect him to go on a major charge next race with the likelihood of more contact. Pretty much a go big or go home scenario given its most likely going to be his last F1 race.
I don’t think he’s really gotten over the fact that RBR turned out pretty poor cars (along with them having a crippled PU) for those years when he was probably favoured to win a WC if he’d had capable machinery.