Daniel Ricciardo recovered from an early racing incident penalty to finish seventh in a rollercoaster Brazilian Grand Prix.

The Aussie racer stormed through the field to finish in the points after dropping back into dead last position.

Ricciardo dropped back to twentieth on the timesheets after pitting for a new front wing after his Renault was damaged on lap eight during a collision with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen.

Magnussen was spun off the track after Ricciardo nudged him on the inside of a left hand turn.

The Haas driver was furious after moving back across the racing line as Ricciardo tried to poke his nose through.

Magnussen was heard on team radio angrily labelling Ricciardo a “f***ing idiot”.

Ricciardo was handed a five-second penalty after the racing incident was analysed by race officials.

Race officials ruled Ricciardo was out of control as he tried to take Magnussen down the inside and the West Australian admitted he was in the wrong.

“I take responsibility for the incident with Kevin. It was close, but I went into him and he spun,” Ricciardo said. “Sometimes you can do that and it works, but sometimes you touch wheels.

“In that situation you think the race is over, but we kept our heads down and managed areally strong race.”

The collision had already ruined Ricciardo’s early strategy after he was forced to pit for a new front wing, ruining his plans to run a long stint on the medium compound tyre.

“I don’t think he has anything to complain about there,” Sky Sports Formula 1 guru Martin Brundle said of Ricciardo’s penalty.

However, former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer was stunned that Ricciardo received such a heavy penalty.

“Let them race only applies to some cars, and other cars get penalties,” Palmer told the BBC.

“No way is that a five-second penalty. These incidents happen and Ricciardo doesn’t have space on the inside – apart from on the kerb which is what caused the lock up. There’s no guideline for that one, they make it up as they go along.

“It’s actually unbelievable isn’t it. Every time you wonder what on earth they’re looking at sometimes.”

Palmer said Magnussen actually crossed back onto the inside of the turn, cutting across Ricciardo and causing the contact.

“Ricciardo was right there on the inside to Turn Four and Magnussen ran across him and damaged Ricciardo’s front wing – that’s bad news because he was on the mediums as well,” Palmer said.

Brundle said Ricciardo’s move had “tears written all over it”.

“It’s really dangerous,” he said. “Was it an avoidable collision between Ricciardo and Magnussen?

“It certainly wasn’t Magnussen’s fault. He gave him enough room.”

Brundle said Magnussen gave Ricciardo enough space on the inside and said the collision was the fault of Ricciardo.

The Renault star eventually came in to serve his five second penalty on lap 25 — and it could easily have been the end of his race.

Instead he began climbing through the field and was back up to 11th when the first safety car came onto the track following Valtteri Bottas’ retirement.

He was able to work his way up to seventh as carnage ensued late in the race and he was one of the big winners from the moment Ferrari stars Sebastian Vettel; and Charle Leclerc wiped each other out.

Ricciardo’s teammate Nico Hulkenberg finished 15th.