Ricciardo offered Red Bull lifeline after 'much better' Grand Prix

Red Bull chief advisor Helmut Marko has defended Daniel Ricciardo after his incident with Lance Stroll in the Chinese Grand Prix.

It has been a disappointing start to the 2024 season for the Aussie, with no points scored in the opening five races and back-to-back retirements in the previous two rounds.

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In China, Ricciardo had been running ninth under the safety car after Kick Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas came to a halt at turn 11.

As the race was about to restart, Fernando Alonso locked up on the approach to the hairpin, causing a concertina effect as the drivers behind slammed on the brakes.

Marko defends Ricciardo over Stroll incident

Team-mate Lance Stroll, who was behind Ricciardo, ended up crashing heavily into the back of the Visa Cash App RB, forcing him to retire later in the race.

Stroll was handed a 10-second time penalty for the incident but refused to take the blame, referring to Ricciardo as an ‘idiot’ over the team radio.

After the race, Ricciardo was handed a three-place grid penalty for Miami after he overtook Nico Hulkenberg under safety car conditions, and Yuki Tsunoda’s retirement summed up a dismal weekend for the team.

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Speaking on his column for Speedweek after the race, Marko defended Ricciardo over the incident, stating that it was not his weekend in Shanghai.

“Daniel Ricciardo had a new chassis available in China and the whole thing was planned from the start because it is our third chassis that we wanted to bring to the track. But of course this change also played into psychology after Daniel's disappointing performances on the previous weekends.

“Things went much better for Ricciardo in China. I find it unbelievable that Lance Stroll called him an idiot after the checkered flag fell. And that he also had to receive a penalty for Miami. This really wasn't his weekend.”

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