Daniel Ricciardo says a "massive gutter" was to blame for him losing his front-wing, which ruined his chances of scoring points at his home race, the Australian Grand Prix.
Ricciardo lined up 12th on the grid behind Racing Point's Sergio Perez and looked to the inside of the Mexican at the start, but dipped two wheels onto the grass as he drew alongside and then struck an object which broke his front-wing.
That object was a gutter according to the Australian, who went on to retire from the race with damage to his bargeboard.
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"I feel that was pretty unlucky," said the Renault driver. "I just put two wheels on [the grass] and the next thing there's a massive gutter there, or gutter ditch.
"Sergio's start wasn't great. I had a bit of a run," he explained. "He made a little flinch, but when it happens that quick, you see him move, so I moved, then he straightened up, and the next thing I'm on the grass.
"But you never know how much he's going to move. Because he was still in front at the time, you just follow his initial reaction.
"That second one just put my wheel in the grass. When I hit the grass, I wasn't actually too concerned. I thought I'd just drive through it and I thought I had enough momentum to stay alongside him.
"But obviously that ditch was there, and that was it."
Ricciardo's team-mate Nico Hulkenberg, who started 11th, went on to finish seventh.
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