In a disappointing turn of events for Australian racing fans, Daniel Ricciardo’s much-anticipated return to Albert Park for the Australian Grand Prix encountered a setback on Saturday as the RB driver failed to advance beyond the first session of qualifying.
Ricciardo’s hopes of a strong qualifying performance were dashed when stewards deleted his fastest lap of Q1 for exceeding track limits at turn five. Consequently, he is slated to start 18th out of 19 cars on the grid for Sunday’s race.
The deletion of Ricciardo’s lap, which occurred too late in the session to allow for another attempt, dealt a significant blow to his aspirations of progressing to Q2. This setback adds to Ricciardo’s history of disappointment at his home grand prix, reminiscent of his disqualification 10 years ago for a fuel breach while racing for Red Bull.
Expressing his frustration, Ricciardo, who served as a reserve driver for Red Bull at Albert Park last year, lamented the lost opportunity: “I was certainly all over it trying to keep it on track but obviously trying to find the time that we’ve been struggling to find all weekend. And I felt like the lap was all I had. So that was salt in the wounds.”
Ricciardo’s struggles extend beyond this race, as he has been outperformed by his less experienced teammate Yuki Tsunoda in all three races of the season thus far. The ongoing battle between the two drivers may have significant implications for the future, with speculation arising about a potential Red Bull seat opening in 2025, as Sergio Perez’s contract expires next year.
Meanwhile, Australian fans are now turning their attention to McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in the hopes of seeing an Australian driver on the podium in Melbourne. Piastri, a local talent, qualified sixth for the race, trailing behind his teammate Lando Norris. Despite expressing mixed feelings about his performance in Q3, Piastri remains optimistic about his prospects, especially considering the strategic advantages afforded by the soft tyre setup at Albert Park.
However, Piastri acknowledges the challenge ahead, particularly in surpassing the formidable Red Bulls and Ferraris ahead of him on the grid. “Mixed feelings,” he remarked. “I feel like there was maybe a little bit more on the table today which is a bit of a shame.”
As the anticipation builds for Sunday’s race, Australian fans remain hopeful that their local heroes can deliver standout performances and potentially secure podium finishes in front of the home crowd.
