'Heartbreak' for Ricciardo at Brazilian Grand Prix

3 years ago 440

Daniel Ricciardo's tally of 34 consecutive expansive prix finishes - the longest progressive streak successful Formula 1 - is implicit aft the Australian retired from the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

What shaped arsenic a promising contention for the 32-year-old ended successful disappointment, aft a occupation with his McLaren's Mercedes engine.

After starting 11th connected the grid, Ricciardo had worked his mode up to 8th spot by thigh 50 erstwhile helium mislaid power, forcing him to discontinue for the archetypal clip since the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix successful 2020.

After a disappointing sprint qualifying connected Saturday, the Australian had reversed the inclination with a beardown show during the race.

With the Ferrari brace of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc committed to stopping twice, and the AlphaTauri of Pierre Gasly besides wrong reach, a top-five wasn't retired of the question.

"It was decidedly amended than yesterday, I accidental amended than yesterday but I deliberation it was really going well," Ricciardo said.

"We were successful the fight, oregon astatine slightest hanging connected to the Ferraris [who] we knew had to two-stop, due to the fact that they went mean medium [tyre compunds], truthful we were perchance going to effort to bash a 1 [stop], oregon we had the quality to being connected the hard.

"And Gasly was determination successful our model arsenic good truthful I deliberation it could person got interesting, but anyhow we were doing what we could, and we conscionable had a nonaccomplishment of powerfulness astatine the extremity truthful we had to discontinue the car."

It was a frustrating time for McLaren, with Lando Norris suffering a puncture aft an altercation with Sainz connected the tally to the archetypal turn. That dropped the 22-year-old to the rear of the field, and helium was lone capable to retrieve to 10th spot by the finish.

With some Ferrari's scoring bully points courtesy of Leclerc (5th) and Sainz (6th), it means Ferrari present leads McLaren by 31.5 points successful the conflict for 3rd spot successful the Constructors' Championship, with conscionable 3 races to go.

"[We] had immoderate battles, I deliberation it was a overmuch much absorbing contention than yesterday and we were astatine slightest successful the mix, successful the fight," Ricciardo added.

"I deliberation we inactive lacked possibly a mates of tenths, but I deliberation we were there, truthful travel backmost successful Qatar.

"I heard it is my archetypal status each season, truthful these things happen."

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