Double penalty costs Ricciardo French GP points finish
Daniel Ricciardo has dropped from seventh place to 11th in the final results of the French Grand Prix after receiving two separate penalties for incidents on the last lap.

Alfa Romeo driver Kimi Raikkonen now moves up to seventh, with McLaren's Lando Norris eighth, Ricciardo's teammate Nico Hulkenberg ninth and Red Bull's Pierre Gasly moving into the points in 10th.
Ricciardo was involved in a fraught battle for seventh place with Norris and Raikkonen which saw him twice go off the track, firstly while battling the McLaren driver at Turns 8/9, and secondly while trying to pass the Alfa Romeo on the straight after that.
The stewards reviewed the evidence and decided that the two incidents should be considered separately.
More news from the F1 paddock:
In the first Ricciardo was judged to have “left the circuit and re-joined unsafely forcing another driver off the track.”
The stewards described the action thus: “Ricciardo started to pass Norris on the outside at Turn 8. At the exit of the corner he distinctly left the track and the Stewards determined that he re-joined at an angle that forced Norris off the track to avoid the collision.
“The Stewards accepted Ricciardo’s explanation that when he was re-joining the track, he had slowed considerably, going down extra gears and locking up the front left tyre. He also stated that the rumble strips in the turn made the car more difficult to control.
“However, the Stewards considered that the sequence of events constituted re-joining the track unsafely, and he subsequently took the position from Norris.”
In the second incident Ricciardo was deemed to have “left the track and gained a lasting advantage passing another car” while re-passing Raikkonen, who had jumped ahead when the Australian tangled with Norris.
The stewards noted: “Following the incident at turn 8 with Norris, Raikkonen managed to pass both Norris and Ricciardo. Ricciardo, who by then had regained control of his car then chased Raikkonen from turn 9 and subsequently passed Raikkonen. Raikkonen defended his position on the straight moving slightly to the right.
“However, Raikkonen never put any part of his car off the track and he did not make any move to the right while any part of Ricciardo’s car was alongside, and did not crowd Ricciardo off the track. To make the pass Ricciardo drove off track and then subsequently completed the pass, gaining a lasting advantage.
“The Stewards reviewed the case to see if it was a continuation of the previous incident. However, Ricciardo clearly had regained control of the car following his incident with Norris and the pass off-track was a separate incident.”
Speaking before he was summoned to the stewards, Ricciardo made it clear that he’d done his best to stay on track while battling Norris.
“I'm sure they'll watch the onboard, but the thing is, obviously I did all I could to stay on the track, but with this new surface as well, you can see there's a shiny line which is full of grip, anything off that is literally like marbles," Ricciardo said.
“I was trying to do my best to stay on. To be honest, for the team I really hope we keep the points, but for my side I'm glad I tried, I have no regrets whatever happens, because it's the last lap, it's a position, and it's never my style to sit back and be the conservative one in battle.”

Previous article
Hamilton: Blame rulemakers, not drivers for boring F1 races
Next article
Hamilton: 2021 F1 overhaul "nowhere near where it needs to be"

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Event | French GP |
Sub-event | Race |
Drivers | Daniel Ricciardo |
Teams | Renault F1 Team |
Author | Adam Cooper |
Double penalty costs Ricciardo French GP points finish
Can Mercedes' W12 retain the team's crown?
Replacing Formula 1's fastest car was never going to be an easy feat for Mercedes. Amid the technical rule tweaks to peg back the W12 and its 2021 rivals, the new Mercedes challenger will remain the target to beat
The pointed note that starts Ferrari's Leclerc vs Sainz era
Ferrari is starting its post-Sebastian Vettel age by welcoming Carlos Sainz in alongside Charles Leclerc. But while Sainz has a tough challenge to match his new teammate, Ferrari is also sending a message that previous intra-team spats must end
The mantra Ocon must follow to challenge Alonso at Alpine
OPINION: It's been an uneasy ride for Esteban Ocon since his F1 comeback - and fresh challenges lie in wait as he's joined by double world champion Fernando Alonso in the newly rebranded Alpine team. STUART CODLING sets out a roadmap to success…
Why Haas is willing to sacrifice its 2021 F1 season
Every Formula 1 team is facing the same difficult decision this season: how do you split precious aero development time between the current car and the all-new 2022 project?
The big questions of F1 2021 - Karun Chandhok
After an unprecedented season last year, there are plenty of questions and storylines for the upcoming Formula 1 campaign. Sky Sports F1 pundit Karun Chandhok gives his verdict.
How McLaren F1’s new investors have already made an impact
The deal McLaren concluded with MSP Sports Capital last year which will help the cash-strapped Formula 1 team pay for much-needed infrastructure upgrades, also points toward the future for F1 itself, says GP Racing's Stuart Codling.
Why Verstappen isn't interested in the hype game
In a pre-season where Red Bull has been unusually quiet, Max Verstappen has also been guarded about the team's fortunes in 2021. Even after trying the RB16B for the first time at Silverstone, the Dutchman was careful to manage expectations
The pros and cons of F1's 2021 rule changes
In the strategy for grand prix racing's future, 2021 represents a significant step towards the goal of closer racing and a more level playing field. That's the theory behind the latest raft of changes, but will they have the desired effect?