AlphaTauri’s Daniel Ricciardo slams ‘frustrating’ rule that killed his F1 ‘excitement’

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Daniel Ricciardo has now hit out at the ‘frustrating’ FIA rule which left the AlphaTauri driver one lap down for the restart of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil last weekend.

The 34-year-old had only qualified 17th during Friday’s session but showed great pace in the Sprint. Ricciardo battled valiantly with Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz for the lower points-scoring spots in the 24-lap event. But early damage denied him in the Grand Prix on Sunday.

Ricciardo had to return to the pits at the end of the first lap after a tyre struck his rear wing. The Pirelli rubber bounced along the circuit entering Turn 1 following the start-line collision between Alex Albon and the Haas pair when Kevin Magnussen drifted into Nico Hulkenberg.

FIA rules ruined Ricciardo’s Sao Paulo GP after early damage

It appeared likely that Ricciardo’s Sao Paulo GP was over due to the damage to his rear wing. But the red flag period to repair the barriers and clear the debris strewn across Turn 1 gifted AlphaTauri an opportunity to repair his car. McLaren also used it to repair Oscar Piastri’s car.

Yet the Australians could not rejoin the race from the grid and restarted the Sao Paulo GP a lap behind. FIA rules stipulate that any cars in the garages when the red flags are thrown can rejoin. But they must do so from the pit lane and once all cars have passed the pit exit line.

AlphaTauri star Ricciardo hits out at the ‘lame’ FIA restart rule

Each lap completed before the red flag period and required for all cars to return to the pits also count. But what irked Ricciardo the most was that the AlphaTauri star believed he was still on the same lap as the field. So, there was no reason for him or Piastri to go a lap down.

“We hoped there was a red flag and we can get back in the race,” he admitted, via quotes by Autosport. “So, we got to the pits. We heard there were reds. The team did a great job fixing the car, so we’re ready to go. Then they tell me that Oscar and I are starting a lap down.

“All the excitement you have to race again just gets completely zapped out of you. There was not a green flag racing lap completed. I don’t know how we start the race then a lap down. That’s really frustrating. Obviously, it’s something kind of a bit lame in the rules.”

Ricciardo ultimately would only come home in P13 in the Sao Paulo GP with zero chances to unlap himself. Only Piastri ended the race behind his compatriot amongst those to finish the Grand Prix. The race was effectively a test session for the Australians in a world of their own.