F1 News: Daniel Ricciardo Jump Start Blamed on Suspected Clutch Issue

Daniel Ricciardo experienced a technical hiccup that led to a jump start, subsequently affecting his race performance. Positioned in the VCRB01, Ricciardo's car crept forward before the lights had gone off — an action that drew immediate scrutiny and a penalty.

Confused by the infraction, Ricciardo reflected:

“It was weird because I got told I had a five-second penalty for a jump start, but I know I didn’t jump the lights, so I was a bit confused.”

Digging deeper into the incident, the underlying cause pointed toward a malfunction rather than driver error. According to Ricciardo, there was a noticeable issue while preparing for the race start. He noted:

“So I obviously questioned it, but then I remember, I feel like when I was finding the revs for the start, I felt maybe the car was moving.” This suspected clutch issue was later confirmed by his race engineer, Pierre Hamelin, complicating Ricciardo’s efforts right out of the gate. “So yeah, Pierre said obviously we had a bit of an issue, so perhaps a clutch or something. So that obviously was a little bit of a backstep.”

The Canadian Grand Prix proved challenging not only at the start. Ricciardo conveyed his struggle with car handling:

“The start itself, we were drift city. I say the start, also just around Turn 1, I remember Lewis just literally breezing by me and I was Tokyo-ing it.” Despite these setbacks, Ricciardo faced additional challenges when rain required a change in tire strategy, causing him to lose track position. He recalled:

“When the rain was coming, we pitted for a new inter and the others stayed out, and we just lost track making our comeback remarkable.”

Amid the complications, Ricciardo demonstrated resilience and strategic acumen. After initial setbacks and penalties, he managed to make strategic moves that paid off as the race progressed.

“I felt like the race was kind of getting away from us, but then with the slick at the end, we managed to claw our way back past some cars and get, fortunately, a nice little bag of points. So all in all, happy.”

Reflecting on his performance and mental approach coming into the race, Ricciardo emphasized the psychological battle and the necessity of maintaining a combative spirit.

“I think that little energy, probably a little bit of a chip on my shoulder I brought into the weekend, I've got to make sure that stays there and just keep that level of intensity," he stated. "I don’t know if I need to be a bit angry or just get my testosterone up, but I think it helps me.”