
Ricciardo wished he had made red-flag call before Norris crash
Ricciardo wished he had made red-flag call before Norris crash

Daniel Ricciardo has conceded to wishing he had been firmer with his stance over the dreadful conditions in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix before McLaren team-mate Lando Norris' crash.
Norris looked to be in contention for pole position after topping both of the opening two sessions in qualifying before crashing heavily through the Eau Rouge-Raidillon complex at the start of Q3 as rain lashed Spa-Francorchamps.
Moments before Norris crashed, Sebastian Vettel called for the session to be stopped over the team radio as cars began to aquaplane on the extreme wet tyres.
"I was on the radio saying the conditions... and then I had an aquaplane in seventh gear," the Australian told Sky Sports F1.
"I guess I could have been more direct and said 'Guys, we need to red flag it'. I did say that it was probably the right call to red flag it.
"It is tough. You don't want to be the guy saying you don't want to drive but the truth is, the conditions just weren't safe enough.
"At Spa, you get these conditions and I never would have thought we would end the session on intermediates. I had no idea how the track dried like that. It is so unpredictable.
"At the time and with hindsight, we didn't need to go out for that session. We will learn from it."
Ricciardo takes positives from best McLaren qualifying
Ricciardo went on to qualify fourth after the delay to the session, his best result as a McLaren driver.
With George Russell qualifying second for Williams, however, Ricciardo believes more could have been on the cards.
"George did a tremendous job," added Ricciardo. "Conditions or not, he did really well.
"It is one of those ones where it started to dry so quick that if you were at the end or just got the timing right or just got the lap, you gained so much but you need to do it.
"I was happy with my fourth and then when the team said George was second I was like 'Aaahhh!'. He did a great job and has done tremendous all year. He is no slouch.
"For me, it is my best quali for McLaren, so I have to take the positive from that."
Related news

Alonso offers Hamilton apology over "idiot" rant

Horner thanks Wolff for dominant Verstappen victory

Verstappen nears Schumacher record as Bruce McLaren matched - Belgian GP stats

Red Bull respond to secret lightweight chassis rumour
Most read

Alonso: Only Hamilton has Vettel's phone number

F1 LIVE - Former Red Bull F1 driver makes WEC switch

Hamilton fired 'Oscars' warning as Red Bull Ford rumours intensify - GPFans F1 Recap

Bottas slates 'controlling' FIA over latest crackdown

Hamilton urged to curb ‘Oscar speech’ antics
F1 Standings

Races
-
Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2023
-
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023
-
Grand Prix of Australia 2023
-
Grand Prix of China 2023
-
Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2023
-
Miami Grand Prix 2023
-
Pirelli Gran Premio Del Made In Italy E Dell'emilia Romagna 2023
-
Grand Prix of Monaco 2023
-
Grand Prix of Spain 2023
-
Grand Prix of Canada 2023
-
Grand Prix of Austria 2023
-
Grand Prix of Great Britain 2023
-
Grand Prix of Hungary 2023
-
Grand Prix of Belgium 2023
-
Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2023
-
Grand Prix of Italy 2023
-
Grand Prix of Singapore 2023
-
Grand Prix of Japan 2023
-
Qatar Grand Prix 2023
-
Grand Prix of the United States 2023
-
Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2023
-
Grand Prix of Brazil 2023
-
Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023
-
Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2023
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media

7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860