Daniel Ricciardo believes Lewis Hamilton had alternative options to a controversial move which delayed the Australian at the Bahrain Grand Prix, won by Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel.
Second place-getter Hamilton was given a costly five-second penalty for slowing Red Bull driver Ricciardo, who crossed the finish line in fifth, during a pitstop.
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Vettel wins Bahrain Grand Prix
Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel wins the Bahrain Grand Prix ahead of Lewis Hamilton to go seven points clear at the top of the Formula One standings.
Hamilton's Mercedes were forced to stack their cars as they pitted and the Englishman blocked Ricciardo into the pit entry, earning the penalty that cruelled his chances of taking victory despite Vettel's 6.6-second overall advantage.
"He was obviously backing up so he could get a clear pitstop and Valtteri [Bottas of Mercedes)] wasn't in there," Ricciardo, 27, told the UK's Channel 4.
![Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo was not happy with Lewis Hamilton.](/web/20170419170324im_/http://www.watoday.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/m/1/a/l/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gvm14n.png/1492441091941.jpg)
"I believe before pit entry that was fine, but here, where he's not going quick, I believe that's why he got the penalty.
"I was pretty calm. I was like 'please'. I knew what he was doing. I thought he might be at risk of a penalty.
"I would have done it before the pit lane, because I think that's A-OK. I'm not going to tell him my secrets, but I would have done it differently."
Hamilton admitted post-race he was in the wrong.
That Lewis Hamilton penalty: here's what happened from @DanielRicciardo's point of view #F1 #BahrainGP pic.twitter.com/6A16st6dTC
— Formula 1 (@F1) 16 April 2017
The victory was Vettel's second of the season after the four-time world champion won the opener in Australia, lifting him to 68 points, with Hamilton second on 61 thanks to winning in China last weekend.
Pole-sitter Bottas finished third after struggling with a generator problem on the grid, leaving him with tyre pressure issues.
Vettel though was on song from the beginning, passing Hamilton into the opening turn as the Brit bogged down on the start.
Ricciardo's teammate Max Verstappen did not finish after suffering rear brake failure on the 12th lap.
Yet to podium in 2017 after a fourth place in China and failing to finish in Melbourne, Ricciardo couldn't help but feel disappointed at the outcome.
"I genuinely thought we had a chance to win," Ricciardo said.
"That first stint was looking really competitive. I could see that Valtteri was struggling, I believe he had some issues with the tyres or whatever.
"I was at the end of that train, I could see everyone else, they were sliding around. I was looking after my tyres, so we were in a really good position.
"Then the safety car came out, we put the softs on and that tyre was just not happening for us today.
"On the restart, out of the last corner, it felt like the tyre just wasn't switched on. Basically the whole first I was sliding, so that's why I went back.
"Beyond that the tyre never really came good, I was on [Filipe] Massa's pace and we know we're quicker than that, so it was a strange chain of events from the beginning of the race."
Kimi Raikkonen finished fourth in his Ferrari, while Massa was sixth in his Williams.
AAP