Daniel Ricciardo wants Lance Stroll’s late-Styrian Grand Prix overtake, which put both off-track but was not penalised, to be discussed in the drivers’ briefing for Formula 1’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
The incident, which occurred on the penultimate lap of last weekend’s race at the Red Bull Ring’s tight uphill Turn 3, led to both cars ending up in the run-off area beyond the right-hander as McLaren’s Lando Norris closed in and also passed Ricciardo as a result.
After the race, Ricciardo called Stroll’s move “desperate”, while the Racing Point driver felt the move that the Styrian GP stewards deemed a racing incident was “an opportunity – a very small one and I went for it”.
When asked if that call had set a bad precedent by Autosport, Ricciardo said: “I’ve never wanted to have the rules so tight that it discourages us to race.
“So I don’t want it that we’re kind if driving on eggshells and scared to pull the trigger. But of course, there’s trying and also failing.
“Obviously both of us went off track, me because if I turn in we crash, but he also brought himself off the track with it.
“So, he tried a move, which he was in completely in his right to do so. I left room, which I guess I shouldn’t have, but he obviously tried and because we both went off I see that as a failed attempt.
“So, the position should have been given back. For me that’s pretty crystal clear.
“I think if he made the corner and kind of squeezed me off, then I accept that and that’s a move, but to get both of us off – yeah, that’s where it’s like ‘I don’t see how that works’ – in any situation I guess.
“But we’ll talk about it – we’ll talk about it in the drivers’ briefing and see everyone’s opinion [and] what they say.
“I can’t see any driver saying ‘yeah, that’s a clean a move – that’s how it’s going to work’, because it just never adds up like that.”
Ricciardo explained that he did not “think it was Lance’s intention to take both of us off”, but feels a late move – one of many that were made at the same point across the two races in Austria – with such consequences needs to be discussed with the officials so the drivers can get clarity.
“I’m sure when he went down the inside he knew it was going to be tight because it was already quite narrow and he came from a fair way back,” he said.
“But I don’t think he expected or wanted both of us to go off track.
“But obviously he just kept his foot into it and said ‘alright if I get a penalty I do, if not then I’ll claim the move’.
“So I don’t think it’s necessarily something that you need to discuss with the drivers [on an individual basis] – as if like ‘that was a dirty move what were you thinking?’
“It’s more that this needs to be spoken too as a group, with us drivers and the stewards together to try and educate everyone on what we think is right and wrong.
“I don’t expect Lance, for example, to go and do this this weekend and think he’s going to get away with it all the time.
“But that’s where we need to talk on probably Friday in the drivers’ briefing.”