Paul Jeffrey
Premium
The awful luck that follows Daniel Ricciardo at his home Grand Prix continued today, effectively ending the race for the home hero even before turn one.
Ricciardo had high hopes of putting on a show in front of his adoring home fans in Melbourne today, however an unfortunate incident off the starting line would put pay to any heroics from the Renault man, putting Ricciardo out of contention for a result before the Renault even reached the end of the start finish straight pit wall...
Ricciardo would get a solid start off the grid once the lights went out, accelerating away from the line and having to place two wheels on the grass to avoid a slow starting Sergio Perez, only to find a hidden obstacle at the side of the circuit and spectacularly rip off his Renault front wing - pretty much removing any further significant participation of the driver for the remainder of the Grand Prix and resulting in a painfully slow lap back to the pits for repairs on his new car.
“I’ve had a look at the replay and it’s pretty much as I saw it from behind the wheel,” he explained. “No one to blame other than grass and then a big lump of concrete or something like a gutter. It was harsh, the bump.
“Obviously I didn’t want to go on the grass in the first place, but I had a run on [Sergio] Perez and for me the inside was the best place to go. I saw him move a bit so your natural reaction, because he was still in front at that time, was to move a bit more".
"That last bit of movement put my wheel on the grass, but even then I wasn’t concerned if I put two wheels on the grass, as I thought I could still carry the momentum. But pretty much as soon as I went on the grass there was the gutter. It’s just a shame it was over so quickly.”
The misfortune that has dogged Ricciardo at home continued, as the driver never really looked to be back in contention again throughout the remaining laps he drove on the circuit, eventually pulling the car into retirement later in the event.“Obviously I didn’t want to go on the grass in the first place, but I had a run on [Sergio] Perez and for me the inside was the best place to go. I saw him move a bit so your natural reaction, because he was still in front at that time, was to move a bit more".
"That last bit of movement put my wheel on the grass, but even then I wasn’t concerned if I put two wheels on the grass, as I thought I could still carry the momentum. But pretty much as soon as I went on the grass there was the gutter. It’s just a shame it was over so quickly.”
Despite the disappointing setback to the start of his new relationship, Ricciardo has taken heart from the fact that Renault appear capable of producing solid pace from the new car, highlighted by a good recovery drive to seventh place by teammate Nico Hulkenberg in the sister machine. Ricciardo also hinted that the pressure of racing at home, and the media and fan expectations of the only Australian on the grid in Melbourne, played a part in reducing preparation time of the driver, something that shouldn't present a problem at the next race in Bahrain.
“I think we should be a top eight car all the first part of the season and then hopefully even better. I think Bahrain will be a bit easier. That’s like a holiday week – there’s really nothing going on, so I can actually prepare properly.
“For sure I’m frustrated because everyone expects so much, but the reality is I’ve got to show up on Sunday. And when the race is over in five seconds, whether it’s bad luck or not, I feel like the preparation wasn’t where it should be. So I feel a bit hard done by, but trying to please everyone.”
Despite a difficult start, potentially made worse by the apparent pace of his former team Red Bull, Ricciardo remains optimistic that the year ahead can still be a good one for one of the most likeable drivers on the current F1 grid.“For sure I’m frustrated because everyone expects so much, but the reality is I’ve got to show up on Sunday. And when the race is over in five seconds, whether it’s bad luck or not, I feel like the preparation wasn’t where it should be. So I feel a bit hard done by, but trying to please everyone.”
For news, discussion and community, all with a overarching theme of Grand Prix racing - head over to the Formula One sub forum and get yourself involved.
Like what we do at RaceDepartment? Follow us on Social Media!
Like what we do at RaceDepartment? Follow us on Social Media!
