“…I’m happy to have hit one of them!” Fans in awe as Daniel Ricciardo blasts…

Australia F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo was left fuming at rogue photographers in the Monza pitlane during a free practice session at the Italian Grand Prix.

The 33-year-old came close to making contact with a photographer while returning to the pits, venting his frustration over the team radio.

“These f***ing idiots, man,” he said.

“I’m happy to hit one of them,” he continued, with tongue firmly in cheek.

a view of the photographers from behind being held back.

Daniel is still mad at the one photographer, saying he “still can’t get deep enough in the box with him there”. pic.twitter.com/IbT9mifKMc

— meredith (@mereeedithh) September 9, 2022

Ricciardo will start on the second row for Sunday evening’s highly-anticipated race after finishing P8 in the qualifying session on Saturday.

“…I’m happy to have hit one of them!” Fans in awe as Daniel Ricciardo blasts…

Because nearly half of the grid copped penalties for engine changes, including reigning champion Max Verstappen, McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Ricciardo will start the Italian Grand Prix in third and fourth respectively.

McLaren clinched an unforgettable 1-2 finish in Monza last year, with Ricciardo securing his only victory for the Woking-based team — the Perth driver will be praying he can replicate that performance this weekend.

Charles Leclerc hopes Ferrari have put recent troubles behind them after giving the Italian team a great chance of winning on home soil by taking pole on Saturday.

The man from Monaco is in prime position to record his first win since Austria in early July thanks to his eighth pole of the season, which came after a rapid final qualifying lap around the Temple of Speed which put him 0.145 seconds ahead of championship leader Max Verstappen.

A win in front of massed ranks of passionate Ferrari fans would be the perfect antidote to a campaign which has been littered with mishaps and blunders.

The nadir came in a farcical team display at last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix which was punctured by errors including bungled pit-stops, unsafe releases in the pit lane and erratic strategy calls.

“It’s not because we’re here at Monza that it’s more important than other races not to make any mistakes,” Leclerc told reporters.

“We need to become a team which does no mistakes wherever we go. Yes it is a special weekend for us but the target for us doesn’t change, we just need to have a clean race and a good race.”

This was Ferrari’s 22nd pole at Monza on the famous Italian constructor’s 75th anniversary, marked by a dash of yellow on the team’s livery this weekend.

Leclerc will try to cut Verstappen’s 109-point lead at the top of the drivers’ standings in front of Ferrari chairman John Elkann.