Daniel Ricciardo described Lance Stroll’s overtaking move at the Styrian Grand Prix as “desperate” and suggested the attempt warranted a sanction.
Ricciardo held sixth place during the closing stages at the Red Bull Ring when Stroll made an attempt to overtake into Turn 3 on the penultimate lap.
Both Ricciardo and Stroll had to use the run-off and the Racing Point driver emerged ahead, while Ricciardo also dropped behind McLaren’s Lando Norris, coming home in eighth position.
Stewards investigated Stroll’s move but deemed no further action was necessary, labelling it a racing incident.
Ricciardo, speaking before the stewards’ decision, intimated that he expected to get the position back from Stroll in the form of a time penalty.
“He didn’t really get past,” said Ricciardo. “He forced both of us off the track.
“I’ll be always critical of myself, I should have closed the door but I don’t think he was ever making the move.
“I think it was desperate, Lando was coming and I think he had to do something as Lando was going to eat him up, so but yeah I take the apex and we crash.
“A frustrating end. It’s a shame to end the race like that.”
Expanding further on the incident, Ricciardo said: “If he pushes me off, but he stays on the track, fair enough, then I definitely should have blocked. But if he takes both of us off it’s not a move.
“I’m turning out of the apex to avoid a crash. I should have hugged the white line and blocked from earlier but it was a move he was never making.”
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