Daniel Ricciardo refuses full blame in Tsunoda incident

Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren, Mexico City GP, 2022 — Photo: © LAT Images

Monaco Grand Prix

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Ricciardo refuses full blame in Tsunoda incident

Ricciardo overcame a 10-second penalty to finish seventh

Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale

Wednesday 2 November 2022 10:20

Daniel Ricciardo has refused to take full blame for the incident that took Yuki Tsunoda out of the Mexico City Grand Prix.

The Australian was charging through the field on a fresh set of soft tyres in the second half of Sunday's race when he came across Tsunoda's AlphaTauri.

Having attacked the Japanese driver into turn four and five, Ricciardo was positioned to the inside of the double-apex turn six, where his left front sent Tsunoda's rear right tyre into the air and forcing him into retirement.

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Ricciardo was handed a 10-second time penalty, although his speed on the softs ensured the added time would not affect his finishing position.

“I’ve seen a few replays. I’ll take more of the responsibility but I don’t feel it’s 100 to zero my fault," said Ricciardo.

“I didn’t lock, I stayed on the apex. The truth is I didn’t plan or want to overtake him there.

“Of course, I wanted to overtake him but I wasn’t set into that corner to outbreak him and overtake him.

“I just thought if I stay there, all the grip is on the inside of that corner. It’s very dusty.

“I just thought if I could stay there, keep him a bit on the dirty line, I’ll get a better exit.

“We probably needed to give each other 20 to 30 more centimetres and we’ll be fine - probably not even that.

“I wish it didn’t happen, and I’m sorry that it did but 10 seconds was more than enough, and somehow we still came through.”

READ: Horner reveals "underpants" fear amid Mexican chaos

Ricciardo "went dark" after penalty reveal

Ricciardo eventually overcame the entire midfield pack to finish best of the rest in seventh.

But asked for his thoughts at the time he was told of the penalty, Ricciardo replied: “I figured they’d probably have to do something but it’s so hard when you’re in the heat of battle.

“I don’t remember locking. In turn one with Carlos, in Imola, I went off the apex and slid into him. It didn’t feel like that.

“So I was going to come onto the radio but dreamt a little. I chose to say nothing. I went pretty dark and decided to keep pushing and make up for it.”