Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo’s bizarre crash halts the second free practice at Zandvoort

Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo finished FP1 in P8 and P13 respectively.

Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo’s bizarre crash halts the second free practice at Zandvoort

Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo (Image via Imago)

Formula One returned from the summer hiatus with the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend. All eyes were on rookie driver Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo as they finished P8 and P13 in FP1 of the Dutch GP. However, after a decent first run, the same couldn’t have been said as the Australian pair failed to complete the second practice session at Zandvoort.

Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo’s fortunes took a downturn during the second free practice as both Australian drivers found themselves crashing out, prematurely concluding their session. Piastri’s car suffered from oversteer, causing him to lose control and spin out at Turn 3, resulting in a collision with the race wall. The collision left Daniel with a minor injury to his wrists.

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Unfortunately, this marked the end of his session. Following shortly behind, Daniel Ricciardo was unable to react in time to the disabled McLaren on the track, leading to a similar incident where he too made contact with the race wall. The session was promptly red-flagged just ten minutes in. Track officials swiftly organized the removal of both the McLaren MCL60 and AlphaTauri AT04 by marshals, allowing for the session to eventually resume.

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Also read: Zak Brown confidently labels Oscar Piastri as McLaren’s future world champion

Australian drivers creating waves in the Formula One world

Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo (Image credit: The Race)

Both Australian drivers have undoubtedly left their mark on the first half of the season. Piastri, capitalizing on the advancements brought in by McLaren, has demonstrated his ability to keep up with the swiftest contenders. While a podium victory has remained just out of his reach, there’s a prevailing sense that the talented driver from Melbourne is poised to seize that accomplishment in the near future.

Conversely, the return of Ricciardo to the grid during the Hungarian Grand Prix, taking over from Nyck de Vries, has ignited a resurgence in his performance. Over recent races, he has successfully recaptured his former prowess. His current trajectory has been nothing short of encouraging. Oscar Piastri is currently placed at P11 in the drivers’ championship as his countrymen sits in 21st position.

As Formula 1 emerges from its mid-season hiatus, all eyes are on the Dutch Grand Prix. Max Verstappen is determined to stretch his eight-race triumph streak and uphold Red Bull’s record this season. Aston Martin, Mercedes, McLaren, and Ferrari have all taken their turns as main challengers to Red Bull. Now, attention turns to which of these contenders will start strongest in the Netherlands.

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