Another race weekend and yet more engine problems for Daniel Ricciardo as he forced out of qualifying in Q2 for the Japanese Grand Prix.
With variable conditions offering the opportunity for a strong result, instead, his Renault power unit stuttered to a halt exiting the final chicane as he freewheeled it back to the pitlane.
A frantic effort began to try and find a fix but it was no avail as his Red Bull mechanics couldn’t beat the clock or a rain shower which arrived in the final minutes of the second segment.
“I felt a loss of power coming out of the last corner just before I started the lap, so I knew it was something that seemed terminal,” he explained to Sky Sports.
“I just can’t catch a break.”
Moments prior, the 29-year-old, who will be joining the works Renault team next season rather than staying for Red Bull’s new partnership with Honda, was audibly heard venting his frustration inside his helmet.
“I’ve just blown out my vocals,” he said. “I’m p***ed.
“Hopefully it will turn tomorrow [Sunday], but qualifying is important here and it is hard to follow here. I’ll try to do what I can. It’s pretty painful at the moment.”
With Max Verstappen capitalising on Ferrari’s errors to take P3 and both Toro Rosso’s inside the top 10, some will begin to wonder if that bold move for next season is looking a less desirable.