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On the first lap of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Ricciardo appeared to be sprinting into the tight right 8 of the Haas driver’s late sprint.
Ricciardo tried to back off but misjudged the situation and couldn’t avoid tagging Magnussen’s right-back, which sent the Dane into a spin.
Magnussen’s car then rolled back into Ricciardo’s road, crashing the Australian into a barrier, meaning both drivers retired on the spot.
FIA staff investigated the incident after the race and found Ricciardo “totally responsible for the collision”, arguing that a more lenient approach to typical first-lap incidents should not have been taken.
As a result, Ricciardo will be penalised three places for next weekend’s season finale in Abu Dhabi. Ricciardo also received two penalty points on his licence, bringing his total to eight, but it’s a rather academic penalty as the Australian won’t be racing in F1 next year.
Judging the incident, the steward noted: “Ricciardo made contact with Magnussen at Turn 8 on the first lap, causing Magnussen to skid and both cars subsequently crashed.
Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-22, Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren MCL36, clash
Photography: Andy Horn / motorsport pictures
“McLaren explained that, in their opinion, Magnussen had a slower exit at Turn 8 than the other cars ahead, which made it difficult to judge the closing speed as the two cars interacted.
“Ricciardo explained that, in his opinion, he had slowed down enough that he would not collide with Magnussen, and he misjudged that slightly.
“The team acknowledged that the incident was not reckless. However, they determined that the incident occurred between two cars, unaffected by multiple other cars, and therefore not a ‘first lap incident’.
“It was determined that Magnussen was driving in a normal manner in that corner and that he did not make any erratic movements. Therefore, it was determined that Ricciardo was fully responsible for the incident and dropped three times for the next race. A starting spot.”
Ricciardo’s team-mate Lando Norris also dropped out with a presumed engine problem, meaning McLaren’s midfield rivals Alpine are all but guaranteed to finish fourth in the constructors’ championship.
Following Friday’s shock bar, Magnussen’s Sunday ended miserably after only half a lap. Still, Magnussen’s heroics in the third quarter helped him finish eighth in Saturday’s sprint, but he inevitably fell out of the race.
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