'Can't believe it': Daniel Ricciardo called out after wild F1 'mess'
Aussie driver Daniel Ricciardo was dragged into an ugly drama at Abu Dhabi qualifying after veteran Fernando Alonso took aim at F1 director Michael Masi.
Ricciardo was one of six drivers summoned to the stewards during qualifying after he was alleged to have cost Alonso a spot on the grid.
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Despite the allegation, no action was taken against Ricciardo.
Alonso was finishing his lap, when Ricciardo was starting his.
But Alonso became infuriated when Ricciardo was running slowly at the end of Q2.
“I cannot believe it,” Alonso was heard saying on the team radio.
“We will start in his position, it’s a clear impeding.”
However, his frustration didn't end there after blaming McLaren post-race.
He also hit out at McLaren for a similar incident in Austria.
“On the traffic itself, it’s McLaren’s fault,” Alonso said, according to The Race.
“The team or the driver or whatever, because even if there is a lot of traffic on the out-lap you need to move when a fast car is coming and he didn’t move.
“I think in Austria Vettel had three places [penalty] so I expect three places minimum or more and let’s see where I start. I think I’ll start ninth, in my opinion, but let’s see.”
The veteran driver then turned his anger towards F1 director Masi.
“Unfortunately we don’t have anyone policing this,” he added.
“[The] race director is too soft on this and if you let us to play on the out-laps and things like that it’s always going to be a mess."
Alonso then claimed the officiating had gone down hill in recent years.
“There are no rules out there," he added.
“No one wants to be in the middle of anyone’s fast lap because then you go to the stewards and normally you get a three-place penalty."
Max Verstappen takes pole for final F1 race
Red Bull's Max Verstappen landed a big blow in his winner-takes-all title battle with Lewis Hamilton by seizing pole position at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Mercedes' seven-time world champion Hamilton will line up alongside on the front row on Sunday, with Verstappen on the quicker soft tyres for the start and the Briton going for the more durable mediums.
The pair are level on points in the standings, with Verstappen ahead 9-8 on race wins, meaning he will be champion regardless of where he finishes if Hamilton fails to score for any reason.
"I didn't expect that, but amazing job guys," said the Dutch 24-year-old over the team radio on Saturday after being told he had secured pole under the Yas Marina floodlights for the second successive season.
with AAP
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