Daniel Ricciardo has joined his Formula One rivals on track after being unable to start the Australian Grand Prix with the rest of the field.

The local hope’s Red Bull Racing car halted and became stuck in sixth gear during a procession lap before Sunday’s season-opening race at Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit.

When the race started, Ricciardo and his car remained in the pits.

After his rivals had completed a lap, he joined the rest of the field.

Ricciardo’s car had suffered an electrical fault, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said.

Under race rules, the problem was unable to be fixed quickly enough for Ricciardo to start the race from the grid.

Ricciardo had qualified 10th fastest but crashed during Saturday’s qualifying session. His car required a new gearbox, which incurred a five-spot penalty – a sanction that became redundant when his car later suffered the electrical issue.