Ricciardo and fellow Aussie Oscar Piastri were caught in the crossfire of a dramatic collision that ended the races of both Haas’ Kevin Magnussen and Williams’ Alex Albon on the 200-yard approach to the first corner.

The left-rear tyre of Albon’s blue-liveried car came detached and flew in the direction of Daniel Ricciardo’s AlphaTauri further back. It missed the Australian’s head by inches and instead landed on his rear wing.

Ricciardo turned frantically left in reaction to the stray rubber bouncing its way towards him. ‘I tried to miss it but the tire was in the air and it clipped my rear wing,’ he said over the radio.’

Piastri’s rear wing was also heavily damaged in the incident, which resulted in the race being red flagged for more than an hour.

A crash on the opening lap ended the chances for the Aussie drivers in Brazil, with a stray tyre narrowly missing Daniel Ricciardo’s head (pictured)

Mayhem at the start as Magnussen and Albon crash out before the first corner 💥😮#F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/pYWbbzvDUK

— Formula 1 (@F1) November 5, 2023

Both Aussies entered the pits for repairs and were forced to restart the race from pit lane, and a lap behind the rest of the drivers.

The unfortunate incident ended any hope of finishing in the points for the Aussie pair, and Ricciardo wasn’t happy about it.

‘Alright, I could rant and explain how f***ing sh*t these rules are but we all know it,’ he said after the race over the team radio.

‘So sorry for you guys. He did a great job repairing the car.

‘I think we had quite a bit [of pace] as well, so it’s f***ing frustrating. Very much, year, very much. We all shared the frustration.

‘There were definitely some points on the table where the pace was very strong.’

Piastri, who started in 10th, would have been hoping to challenge the top six and was instead forced test the medium tire for teammate Lando Norris – who finished in second place.

Ricciardo let his feelings be known afterwards, launching into an X-rated tirade over team radio after being caught up in the mayhem at the start

Fellow Aussie Oscar Piastri’s wing was also damaged in the incident on the first lap as he endured a frustrating race

Max Verstappen took a dominant victory in Brazil –  his 17th win in an incredible 2023 season for the Dutchman and his all-conquering team

Ricciardo’s teammate Yuki Tsunoda also did well in the race to finish in ninth position.

Ricciardo and Piastri eventually crossed the finish line in 13th and 14th respectively.

Max Verstappen, from pole, was in clinical throughout the race as he swept to his 17th win of the season.

The Aussie drivers will be both hoping for better luck in a fortnight when Formula 1 visits the USA for the highly anticipated Las Vegas Grand Prix.