Ricciardo hits out at ‘sh*thouse’ penalty

Arriving at a wet Albert Park circuit on Saturday, Daniel Ricciardo said he’s “pissed” about his grid penalty as common sense should have prevailed.

The Aussie was hit with a three-place grid penalty on Friday after the stewards ruled that he had not slowed sufficiently for the red flag in FP2.

The reds were waved when a timing cable came loose on the start/finish line.

The penalty means no matter what happens in qualifying, Ricciardo’s best starting position can be P4.

“I think it’s shithouse,” he told Ten.

“Yesterday’s news has been pretty bitter for me. I’m pissed to say the least.”

He added: “I made a mistake, no doubt about it, but is that mistake worth a grid penalty in a practice session when no car’s on track, no-one’s upside down.

“It was a cable on the track. I didn’t pass the incident.

“I just think common sense should have prevailed.”