US family doctor contact with Ricciardo “on the verge of legality”

Ricciardo made the jump to Sainz in the early stages after a close fight on the first lap in which the McLaren and Ferrari drivers walked side by side.

Sainz had tried to regain position by undercutting Ricciardo on the second lap of pit stops, just for a slow service from Ferrari so McLaren could react a lap later and keep his driver in front.

Sainz managed to close Ricciardo and tried to overtake him on the outside of Turn 14, but when Ricciardo pushed the Spaniard far out, the two cars touched slightly.

The move was not investigated by the stewards, but Sainz said on team radio that it was “a little dirty” as he was struggling with minor damage to his front wing.

Ricciardo finished fifth, while Sainz slipped behind Mercedes-Valtteri Bottas in the closing stages and took seventh place at the checkered flag.

“To be honest, it was at the limit of legality for me,” said Sainz after the race.

“Because it is obviously on the inside, I’m on the outside, I have everything to lose when I’m on the outside. Normally, with the car that is on the outside, you always try to drive the car to the left out of the road.

“Of course he did it on purpose, he wanted to leave me without space at the corner exit with the restriction we touched. Without the touch he would have done it, I think clean, perfect defense.

“Just this slight contact that we had made it a bit at the limit for me. If I were in his place, I would have done exactly the same. Of course I would not have tried to have contact as we did in the end.” but the guy on the inside has the right to drive the car off the road from the outside.

“He was entitled to do what he did, only the little contact he gave me was avoidable in my opinion.

“That sparked my reaction on the radio when we were in an emotional situation. Everything else was a good, fun fight.”

Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren MCL35M

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Ricciardo branded the post-race move as a “grinding race” and said he was “happy to be dirty” in response to Sainz’s radio comment.

Despite losing to Ricciardo, Sainz managed to cross the finish line in the second McLaren ahead of Lando Norris and help Ferrari close the gap to the British team in the battle for third place in the constructors’ championship.

McLaren remains third, but this year is only 3.5 points ahead of Ferrari with five races to go.

“I think it was super close with McLaren this year, they had the upper hand on some of the tracks,” said Sainz.

“I think they’ll still have the upper hand on some of the tracks that are left this season, but it’s important that we position ourselves better thanks to the efforts at the factory.

“Now we can put ourselves in a position to fight until the last race.

“Maybe in Sochi and Monza you could think that they were the clear favorites until the end.

“At least now it looks like we have a good chance and will try to end the season strong.”