Cooldown room at F1 Japanese GP reacts to Daniel Ricciardo-Alex Albon crash

• 2024 F1 Japanese Grand Prix - Race Results from Round 4

The crash between Daniel Ricciardo and Alex Albon was labelled “unfortunate” and due to a “blind spot” in the F1 Japanese Grand Prix cooldown room.

Race winner Max Verstappen, runner-up Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz came together in the immediate aftermath of the race to see highlights of what happened on-track.

RB’s Ricciardo and Williams’ Albon collided on the first lap at Suzuka, prompting a red flag and a Safety Car to emerge.

Ricciardo and Albon’s races were abruptly ended by the incident.

In the cooldown room afterwards, Sainz said: “That was a big shunt, huh?”

Perez replied: “He was just in the blind spot.”

Verstappen said: “You could see Daniel looking left, at the left side. It’s really unfortunate.”

Tyre strategy was also a key topic of conversation at Suzuka.

The podium finishers were intrigued by their rivals’ choices.

Sainz asked Verstappen: “You never thought about a one-stop?”

Verstappen replied: “You could have done it, but for us it was probably slower. And you would have struggled on the tyres.”

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton was among the drivers facing difficulty with tyres and strategy.

Verstappen’s win ahead of teammate Perez represented the third time in four grands prix than Red Bull have sealed a 1-2 finish.

Ferrari’s Sainz, the only other grand prix winner aside from the Red Bulls either this year or last, completed the podium.

Sainz’s excellent early season form is a reminder that he doesn’t have a race seat for 2025, when he will be replaced by Hamilton at Ferrari.