The McLaren driver got tangled up with Bottas when they touched on tight Turn 1 in Mexico City. Bottas was spun around while Ricciardo broke his front wing and had to pit for repairs.
During the race, Ricciardo said he kicked himself for feeling like he caused the incident, but he says he got a different point of view after watching a video playback.
“My memory of the first corner was that I obviously had a very good start and it looked pretty good,” said the Australian.
“I went inside [Sergio] Perez and I remember that we closed once. When I played it through in my head for the next 70 laps, I thought I was locked and went to Valtteri. So obviously I kicked myself.
“But then, when you watch the replay, it looked like I was locked in the straight and then actually recovered before I gave in. And it looked like there just wasn’t enough room.
“Obviously Valtteri came over, probably expecting to have a bit of clearance, and then there was Perez and I. So of course I don’t blame Valtteri.
“I’m the one who met him. But honestly, when I watch the replay I just think it’s a first-round incident and I might be optimistic.”
Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren MCL35M
Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images
The FIA stewards watched the clash briefly to see if an investigation was warranted, but decided it was simply a racing incident.
Despite the result, Ricciardo felt that he had done the right thing to fill a small void that was there.
“I feel like it’s one of those loopholes: if you don’t, someone else will and then you will get the short end of the straw,” he said.
“Of course I’m disappointed. And I’ll still be tough on myself and never ruin my race on the first lap.
“But let’s say if it’s possible to feel better, I’ll feel a little better after watching the replay. And it was actually a small hit. But we know these cars don’t take a lot of damage.”
The post Video playback changed Ricciardo’s mind about Bottas’ crash first appeared on monter-une-startup.
