Share

Frustrated Ricciardo 'punches hole in wall' after US retirement

Austin - Daniel Ricciardo was so angry he punched a hole in a wall after a power failure forced him to retire from Sunday's United States Grand Prix, according to his Red Bull team chief Christian Horner.

While his team-mate Max Verstappen stormed from 18th on the grid to finish second with a dazzling drive, Australian Ricciardo was left frustrated again in a season that has seen him suffer a loss of form.

"It's a crying shame for Daniel, I feel so sorry for him," Horner told reporters after the race won by Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen.

"It was an identical issue to that which he had in Bahrain where it was a complete shut down."

Ricciardo, who leaves Red Bull for Renault next season, was battling for a possible podium finish when he was forced into retirement.

"He's just taken his frustration out on his room by putting his fist through the wall, which you can totally relate to," added Horner.

"He doesn't blame the team in any way. He knows we're doing everything we can, it's just one of those things."

Horner was delighted with Verstappen's performance.

"That was brilliant - what a drive from P18! This was vintage Max - fair and hard racing. Today he's driven an unbelievable race.

"He should certainly be given driver of the day, if he hasn't got it already.

"We run a whole bunch of simulations to try and monitor the tyres and everything was telling us the tyres were done with six laps to go.

"But Max was saying he could manage it. All our tyre models were telling us there's no way he will get to the end and he just did it and made it work."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1473 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE