Australian Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo has crashed out of the Japanese Grand Prix on the very first lap as the race was red-flagged just seconds in.
Ricciardo and Alex Albon were jostling for positions at the run to turn three as the latter attempted to make a move around the outside of the Aussie.
After starting 11th on the grid, Ricciardo was battling through the midfield and had his sights set on Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll when Albon’s Williams came up to him on the outside.
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Ricciardo appeared not to realise the Williams had come up alongside him when the pair got tangled up together.
They connected and spun out into the barriers, triggering a safety car which was soon upgraded to a full red flag.
“He just squeezed me. I had nowhere to go,” Albon could be heard saying to his team on the radio.
Both cars sustained serious damage, as did the tyre barriers near turn three.
Fortunately though, Albon and Ricciardo climbed out of their cars unscathed.
Former F1 driver Anthony Davidson says no one was at fault.
“I think Ricciardo reacts to Stroll on his left-hand side. That’s unfortunate. It wasn’t Albon’s fault and it wasn’t Ricciardo’s,” Davidson said.
“Ricciardo is going for the racing line and three into one doesn’t really go. It’s a racing incident and wrong place, wrong time for Albon.”
More to come …