Ricciardo ridicules Sainz after accusations: 'He's always the culprit!'

Daniel Ricciardo has refuted Carlos Sainz, after the Ferrari driver accused some drivers of deliberately impeding during qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Sainz was knocked out in Q1 and will start from P16 after hitting traffic on his out-lap, then he came across a couple of cars during his timed effort which prevented him from improving.

After complaining that several drivers were impeding him on purpose, others hit back including McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who expressed his displeasure on the radio: "It's Sainz again as always, isn't it?"

When asked about the accusations, Ricciardo told media, including RacingNews365: "I don't know why he does it, but he's always the culprit. He hasn't upset me this weekend, but I don't know if he's just messing with us.

"He definitely seems to be the one that everyone likes to talk about in terms of impeding or whatever."

F1 drivers know what they are doing

After Sainz crashed during FP2 due to a mix of the dirty air and bump on the track at Turn 3, Ricciardo believes following another car has got harder compared to 2022.

"I feel like this year it's got worse. I definitely think last year it was a bit better. But this year, it definitely seems a bit harder to follow or not be affected," he explained.

The pair will start together towards the back of the back, after Ricciardo only managed to qualify in 15th place.