F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Ricciardo handed three-place grid penalty for impeding Ocon

Daniel Ricciardo was unsurprisingly hit with a three-place grid penalty by the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix stewards for impeding Alpine's Esteban Ocon in qualifying.

Ocon was on a flyer in Q2 when he stumbled upon the slow-moving Ricciardo at Jeddah's Turn 9 and was forced to abandon his lap.

The Aussie later argued that the McLaren pitwall had not informed him of Ocon's oncoming presence and that by the time he saw the Alpine in his mirrors, "it was too late".

The stewards levied a three-place grid penalty that demoted Ricciardo from P12 to P15. However, as Haas' Mick Schumacher has been ruled out of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the McLaren driver should line up 14th on the Sunday's grid.

“It was clear that Car 31 was unnecessarily impeded by Car 3," read the stewards' report.

"The fact that Car 31 was ultimately able to record a faster lap is irrelevant to the fact that the infringement occurred, such that a timed lap had to be aborted.

"It was also clear that the team failed in its duty to keep the driver of Car 3 properly informed of approaching cars. This is particularly so given the tight nature of this circuit."

The McLaren outfit was also fined €10,000 by the FIA for failing to inform its driver.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

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