Ricciardo's race derailed by 'unusual' issue

3 years ago 274

Australia's Daniel Ricciardo has finished retired of the points astatine the Qatar Formula 1 Grand Prix, the 3rd contention successful a enactment he's failed to decorativeness successful the top-10.

It's the archetypal clip the 32-year-old has been retired of the points for 3 consecutive races since his disastrous archetypal play with Renault successful 2019.

Following the highs of his Italian Grand Prix triumph successful September, Ricciardo has finished successful the points lone doubly successful the six races since.

"Unfortunately, a beauteous disappointing extremity to the triple-header today," helium said aft his 12th spot decorativeness successful Qatar, down race-winner Lewis Hamilton.

"We ran into immoderate issues with fuel, and we had to save, which dictated our race. So, not definite what happened but we evidently request to look into it."

With conscionable 2 races remaining successful the season, Ricciardo remains eighth successful the championship, though realistically he's excessively just down seventh-placed Carlos Sainz to situation the Ferrari driver.

Ricciardo's slow-down thigh gives an absorbing penetration into his mindset, with his race-engineer Tom Stallard giving the Australian a big of instructions successful presumption of settings connected the car, each of which Ricciardo followed without a azygous connection successful reply.

"We've got immoderate investigating to do," Stallard said, yet drafting a response.

"Understood, let's sermon erstwhile we're back," Ricciardo said curtly.

Speaking aft the race, helium was keen to hide astir the past 3 weeks.

"I'm looking guardant to moving on. I deliberation a play disconnected is indispensable for everyone involved," Ricciardo said.

"We'll debrief now, effort to recognize the issues contiguous and past we've got immoderate simulator clip adjacent week to get acceptable for the past two. Let's decorativeness strong."

McLaren brag Andreas Seidl said helium wasn't definite what caused Ricciardo's problems.

"For Daniel, it was ever going to beryllium pugnacious to get into the points from P14. He drove a precise beardown archetypal stint that pulled him up into contention, but past had to prevention an unusually precocious magnitude of fuel," helium said.

"We'll person to analyse wherefore that was required connected his side."

It caps a fearfulness three-race agelong for McLaren, with Lando Norris finishing 10th, 10th and 9th successful that period.

The squad is present 39.5 points down Ferrari successful the contention for 3rd successful the championship, a shortage they're improbable to overhaul, though they're good wide of Alpine successful fifth.

Regardless, the quality betwixt 3rd and 4th successful the title volition spot a multi-million dollar driblet successful prizemoney for McLaren.

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