Daniel Ricciardo will be starting the 2018 Formula One season with a bit of a disadvantage, earning himself a three-place grid penalty for an infraction during the second free practice session for the Australian Grand Prix.
The home hero failed to stay above the minimum time in the final sector after the red flag was thrown for debris at the start/finish line. The Red Bull driver’s penalty was lessened because he had slowed down the car and there was no added danger due to his infraction. Ricciardo reportedly admitted to the stewards that he made an error reading his dash.
The penalty means that Ricciardo will not be able to qualify higher than P4 and it also means that he has earned two penalty points in his license. The Australian driver finished in P6 and P7 in the first two free practice sessions, while his teammate Max Verstappen finished in the top three for both sessions.
