Daniel Ricciardo has been handed a ten-place grid penalty for the Bahrain Grand Prix after his Red Bull mechanics allowed him to exit his pit box before it was safe to do so.
The Australian exited his pit box and almost immediately stopped after noticing his front-left wheel hadn’t been securely attached. His team ran down the pit lane to retrieve him and he rejoined the race a lap down.
He was then handed a 10-second stop/go penalty before his front-wing failed, which completely ruined his race.
Despite the penalty handed out during the race, the stewards deemed that he had been unsafely released and therefore, under the rules, must take a grid drop at the next race.
His team branded the penalty harsh: “The rules are pretty clear,” said Horner. “For an unsafe release, it is a stop-go penalty of 10 seconds and a 10-place grid penalty for the next race, so the punishment is harsh for the crime. It is the rules, so that is what it will be.”
Red Bull were also reprimanded because one of their mechanics wasn’t wearing head protection during a pit stop.
