At this year’s Japanese Grand Prix, the normally tranquil Suzuka circuit in Japan was the scene of an uncouth accident between Daniel Ricciardo and Alex Albon, which saw the race put on hold for a significant 30-minute period.
The disordered clash happened during the first lap when Ricciardo found himself veering off course while entering the Esses section of the Suzuka circuit. Unluckily for Albon, he was directly in Ricciardo’s trajectory, leading to the two colliding and ending up crashing into the barrier.
Fortunately, the racing gods were kind – both drivers emerged from the debacle physically unscathed. Albon, speaking to his team via radio, vented his frustrations about the incident, “He just squeezed me, there was nowhere to go.”
Subsequently, the race was red-flagged, necessitating all drivers to make an immediate return to the pit lanes. It was an unavoidable measure to allow for the wreckage of both cars to be cleared and the barrier to be repaired.
The crash has naturally attracted the attention of the FIA‘s race stewards. They are expected to undertake a comprehensive review of the incident.
This unfortunate setback comes as a severe blow, especially to Ricciardo and his Red Bull‘s second team, given their less than stellar start to the season. Meanwhile, Albon’s Williams team, which wasn’t set to receive a spare chassis until the Miami Grand Prix in early May, finds itself in an equally precarious situation.
The critical question now is the impact this incident might have on the upcoming Chinese Grand Prix in a fortnight. Williams racing team could potentially be left racing with just a single car, mirroring the situation they found themselves in earlier at Melbourne.
Meanwhile, championship frontrunner Max Verstappen maintained his composure and established an unblemished lead at the race’s start ahead of this incident. Verstappen, who is keen to reclaim victory after witnessing Carlos Sainz and Ferrari triumph at the Australian Grand Prix two weeks ago, will be looking to capitalize on his early lead.