Eight-time grand prix title holder Daniel Ricciardo was anticipated to be the front runner for Red Bull (RB) after his return to Formula 1 in the previous season. Contrary to expectation, he has had a challenging season, facing an unanticipated rival in his teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
Ricciardo’s difficulties escalated after a collision with fellow teammate Albon at Turn 3 in the opening lap of the Suzuka race. The unfortunate position resulted in a crash, sending both drivers into the barriers of the race track.
Reflecting on the incident, Ricciardo was assertive to separate it from his wholesale challenges this season. In his view, the clash was nothing more than a common first-lap collision, voicing ““Today is [a] singular moment… I feel it was just one of those things.”
Ricciardo further pointed out the accident desolation, stating, “We know [across] that 24 races, it’s likely that maybe I’m involved in another lap one incident, there’s just probability [that] these things kind of happen.” He admitted the frustrations of such mishaps but reinforced it as a unique incident in his otherwise undeterred race track journey.
Ricciardo expressed a tinge of regret over missing the Suzuka race. He had hoped it would be an opportunity to display the progress they had made, assuring, “We’ll do that in China. I’m actually testing on Tuesday. So the laps that I missed today – I’ll get back on Tuesday.”
Ricciardo introspected his choice of medium tyres for the race, acknowledging it put him at a disadvantage since numerous rivals instead opted for soft ones. The decision, he felt, landed him in trouble, triggering the series of unfortunate events.
Ricciardo detailed the unravelling of events: “As soon as we launched, I could see Bottas and Hulkenberg just split us and go around… as soon as I got on the throttle, I was still struggling, then I think Stroll was on my outside. I was trying to hold him off.“ He highlighted the additional disadvantage due to Albon’s superior traction on the soft tyres.
Struggling to keep control, Ricciardo lamented, “As I’ve started to come back for (Turn) 3, then Albon’s there…There was obviously not enough room.” He admitted, “I didn’t see him. I always assume maybe someone is there, it’s lap one, so I never tried to use the full width of the track and be completely ignorant.”
In retrospect, Ricciardo would have opted for soft tyres instead of the mediums. While initially adamant about his choice, he conceded that the soft would have provided an advantage and better prepared him for the competition.