During a practice session at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal on June 7, 2024, VCARB driver Daniel Ricciardo made waves with a controversial reference to the 2008 Crashgate scandal. Ricciardo, who has faced a challenging season and frequently been outpaced by teammate Yuki Tsunoda, mentioned the incident after his elimination in Q1, joking that a similar scenario was his best hope for grid improvement.
Ricciardo’s performance this season has been fraught with difficulties, struggling notably with his car’s responsiveness on soft tires. Despite promising practice sessions and a hopeful start in Montreal, issues persisted during qualifying. “We didn’t really change much,” Ricciardo mentioned, reflecting on the setup adjustments. He noted, “We were in a good place yesterday so we were pretty upbeat about it, but I put the soft on and I was nowhere.”
Expressing his frustration, Ricciardo stated, “Obviously, the Q1 thing, that sucks. With all the s*** going on, I honestly felt [it] would be good today.” Helmut Marko’s recent comments suggesting a reserve driver for Red Bull next season only intensified speculation about Ricciardo’s future. Amidst the uncertainty, Ricciardo’s jest—”Bring Piquet back, and let’s make it happen”—highlights the tense atmosphere as he struggles to regain competitive form.
