Ricciardo was attempting to avoid the Aston Martin car of Lance Stroll at the race start, and Albon attempted to make it three-wide on the run into Turn Three.
Not knowing that the Williams driver was on his outside, Ricciardo jolted to the right, sending both himself and Albon into the outside tyre barrier with what Sky Sports F1‘s Anthony Davidson described as a “nasty crash”.
Offering his assessment of the incident, Davidson said: “I think Ricciardo reacts to Stroll on his lefthand side. That’s unfortunate. It wasn’t Albon’s fault and it wasn’t Ricciardo’s.
“Ricciardo is going for the racing line and three into one doesn’t really go. It’s a racing incident and wrong place, wrong time for Albon.”
Adding further insight, former Aston Martin strategist Bernie Collins added: “Ricciardo was looking to his left and more concerned about a car coming up to his left, so that’s why he wasn’t aware of Albon.”
This crash was nothing short of a disaster for both drivers, but particularly for the Williams team, who now face a lengthy repair job ahead of a Chinese Grand Prix for which they will once again be without a spare chassis.
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