Angry Ricciardo feels "screwed"posted in F129 | 05 | 2016

AUSSIE DANIEL RICCIARDO admitted he felt he’d been “screwed” for the second Formula One race in succession following Red Bull's pitstop blunder that cost him the Monaco Grand Prix.

After dominating the opening phase of the race, having started from pole position, Ricciardo lost the lead as a result of a slow pitstop caused by a miscommunication about which tyres to use.

“Save it: there's nothing you guys can say that will make it any better”, a despondent Ricciardo said over the radio on the slowing down lap. He also cut a miserably dejected figure during the podium celebrations.

"I don't even want to comment on the race to be honest," Ricciardo said. "I guess from the outside we put on a show, but it shouldn't have been as exciting as it was.

Related: Hamilton masters rain-hit Monaco GP

"Two weekends in a row now I've been screwed. It sucks. It hurts. I was called into the box. I didn't make the call, so they should have been ready."

A fortnight ago at the Spanish Grand Prix, Ricciardo led the opening part of the race but blamed Red Bull's strategy calls for costing him track position. His new team-mate Max Verstappen went on to win the race.

Red Bull motorsport chief Helmut Marko said the team gifted the race to Hamilton.

"We presented the race to Mercedes," he said. "Unfortunately, a lot of misunderstanding and not the right communication.

"We will investigate and find out what happened, but it was a human mistake. I feel really sorry. All we can do is apologise to him."

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Jim McGill