Daniel Ricciardo was on track for a points finish before a cruel twist of bad luck hampered the Australian’s race at the Chinese Grand Prix.

Ricciardo was poised to finish in the top 10 before Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll went into the back of him before the first safety car restart, causing significant damage to his rear wing.

The incident was caused by Fernando Alonso locking up going into the turn, resulting in the following cars braking suddenly. Ricciardo hit Oscar Piastri‘s diffuser before Stroll sent the back of Ricciardo’s car into the air, such was the severity of the impact.

The Australian could not overcome the issue and complained of having ‘no rear on exit’, and the team were forced to call him into the pits and retire the car.

It was another poor result for the Australian amid a miserable return to Formula One.

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Daniel Ricciardo missed out on points due to an unfortunate collision in China

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Lance Stroll went into the back of Ricciardo’s RB car during the safety car stint

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It represented another poor day’s work for Ricciardo who has struggled for form

Ricciardo had been handed a lifeline by Christian Horner last year, with the 34-year-old joining Red Bull’s junior team AlphaTauri in the back end of the 2023 season.

A wrist injury forced him out for the majority of his remaining races with Alpha, and his replacement, Liam Lawson, flourished in his absence.

Team bosses kept the faith in Ricciardo to drive in 2024, with AlphaTauri rebranded as RB, but his poor displays has led to speculation that Lawson could replace him on a full time basis.