Ricciardo: Run-off areas making F1 drivers look bad

The F1 chief said earlier this week that drivers exceeding track limits without paying a penalty was not good for the show.

"I've been criticised probably by everybody because I wanted to build 40cm walls around the corners. They keep saying they mustn't go off the road, I promise they won't," Ecclestone said.

Ricciardo agreed with Ecclestone that walls make the sport more exciting.

"I think walls are actually pretty good," said Ricciardo. "I like the idea of walls that they are a permanent thing.

"It's like Lewis [Hamilton] in Monaco, when he was defending from me and cut through the chicane. If there's a wall there, happy days, I win the race.

"I'm not a fan of the real open stuff. At least have something there that it's a deterrent. It's not as exciting. I'm a big lover of street tracks."

The Australian believes that allowing drivers to make mistakes and return to the track without being penalised is actually making them look bad.

"We always talk about it even if drivers' meetings, whether it's to bring some gravel back," Ricciardo added.

"These speed bump kerb things are doing the job in some areas. It's improving, but I think it's more when a driver can run off track and come back and not really pay a penalty.

"At least have some penalty to pay. At the end of the day if you run off wide, you've made a mistake so you should lose some time. I think that's the main thing that frustrates me.

"It allows too many of us to be less than perfect, and it makes us look less good as well if we always make mistakes and don't pay for them."

Additional reporting by Jonathan Noble

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