Daniel Ricciardo said he had constructive discussions with Formula 1 about the decision to broadcast extensive reruns of Romain Grosjean’s fiery crash at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Ricciardo was annoyed by the footage of the accident, which Grosjean miraculously escaped with relatively minor injuries. Grosjean’s wife Marion thanked Ricciardo for his comments on her return to the paddock this week.
Grosjean is therefore missing out on the Sakhir Grand Prix this weekend, but is hoping to race at the final event of the season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 13th.
Ricciardo spoke to Ellie Norman, Head of Marketing and Communications at F1, and was pleased with the way the discussions had gone and the willingness to address the point he had originally raised.
“I spoke to Ellie on Thursday night,” said Ricciardo. “They already offered to come and chat after Sunday, but there was a lot going on last Sunday, so I wanted to postpone it.
“I think it was definitely worth listening to because I don’t want to blow them up in the media and then run away from them. I chatted with Ellie for half an hour and she went through a lot of stuff and gave mine feedback.
“There was nothing better than confronting, she was very understanding and grateful and also accepted my concerns. She didn’t push back; she just tried to listen and learn how they might do things differently. But she also talked about me the reasons out I’m sure we can get some things out of it.
“One thing was … and in fact some broadcasters might do … some kind of warning to prevent the audience as if there were some graphic images, and that way if you have younger children you have one a little time to maybe drag it away from the TV or something.
“Ross Brawn mentioned that there was such a thing or that there was a little context. It was productive that they didn’t attack me or anything, so it was quite a worthwhile thing to do. They deserve me to hear them.”
While other riders have not commented on the subject, Ricciardo is sure he wasn’t uncomfortable with the reps alone.
“I feel like some drivers I don’t want to see are too proud or too brave, but I’m sure a lot of us sensed that.
“That question about getting back in the car? The answer is no. But I just wanted you to consider everything we have to go through.”
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