30/03/2014
NEWS STORY
Daniel Ricciardo's season has gone from bad to worse as he is handed a ten-place grid penalty for next weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix.
Still smarting - yet smiling - following his disqualification from the season opening Grand Prix in Melbourne, the Australian suffered a disastrous race again today in Malaysia.
At his second pit stop the Red Bull driver, who briefly led teammate Sebastian Vettel before being re-passed by the German, was released before his left-front tyre had been correctly pitted.
Grinding to a halt at the end of the pitlane he had to be pushed back to his garage by his mechanics and by the time he rejoined the race had slipped back down the field to last position.
However, worse was to come, for other than being handed a ten-second stop and go penalty for the unsafe release, the Australian damaged his front wing on the unforgiving Sepang kerbs, picking up a puncture in the process.
Retiring shortly after, the Red Bull driver understood to have encountered yet another fuel low meter issue, there was more bad news when the Race Stewards handed him a ten-place grid penalty for next week's race having been released "in an unsafe condition during the race", a breach of Article 23.12 c) of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations.
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Chris Balfe