Daniel Ricciardo's safety car infringement at Chinese Grand Prix follows him to Miami Haunts Him

Daniel Ricciardo's luck seemed to have deserted him entirely at the Chinese Grand Prix. Not only did a collision with Lance Stroll prematurely end his race, but a seemingly minor incident earlier in the race has come back to bite him during the Miami Grand Prix weekend.

The trouble stemmed from Ricciardo's actions under a Safety Car deployed in the Chinese Grand Prix. Safety Cars are used to neutralize the race in case of incidents or debris on the track, requiring drivers to maintain position and a pre-determined gap behind the Safety Car. However, the Stewards later determined that Ricciardo had overtaken Nico Hulkenberg during this Safety Car period, a clear violation of the regulations.

Ricciardo's defence rested on the fact that Hulkenberg had also overtaken him earlier under the Safety Car. This appeared to be a case of tit-for-tat, with both drivers seemingly getting away with the same manoeuvre. However, the Stewards clarified a crucial distinction. Hulkenberg's overtake was permitted under a specific regulation that allows drivers to regain their original position if they are forced off the racing line due to another car. This wasn't the case with Ricciardo, whose overtake offered no such justification.

Why wasn't he punished at the Chinese Grand Prix itself?

The penalty for Ricciardo's infringement wasn't immediate. Since he retired from the Chinese Grand Prix due to the collision with Stroll, the penalty couldn't be served during that race. However, the Stewards don't let transgressions slide. The penalty, a harsh three-place grid penalty and two penalty points on his racing license has been carried over and applied to the next race weekend in Miami.

The Miami penalty serves as a harsh reminder for Ricciardo and other drivers on the grid. Safety Car periods are implemented for a reason- to ensure the safety of drivers and marshals during on-track incidents. Strict adherence to the regulations is paramount in these situations, and any transgression, no matter how minor it may seem at the time, will be scrutinized by the Stewards and can have significant consequences for a driver's race weekend, and potentially, their championship aspirations.