Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo won the Monaco Grand Prix, with an exceptional drive in which he nursed his wounded car to the flag in front of the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel in second and Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes in third.
Ricciardo was down on power for the majority of the sport's most famous race, but he bravely held off the challenge from Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton to take the chequered flag.
The Australian was overjoyed with his victory, which was a huge achievement against the odds and goes someway to making up for his disappointment when he missed an almost certain win here in 2016 after a pit stop error by his team. The result means Hamilton’s lead over Vettel in the world championship has narrowed from 17 to 14 points in the Formula One campaign.
Vettel, who harassed the Red Bull before conceding defeat in the closing stages of Sunday's glamorous Monaco grand prix, cuts Hamilton's championship lead to 14 points. Kimi Raikkonen finished in fourth with Valtteri Bottas fifth for Mercedes.
On Max Verstappen’s Red Bull, which started last after he failed to set a time in qualifying, the pink-walled tyres were delivering lap times that were at times four seconds quicker than anyone else. Such was his pace, he smashed the lap record with 1:14.260 seconds on lap 60.
Ricciardo had said earlier in the week he would have to ‘earn’ a win here in Monaco. After 78 flawless laps under intense pressure from behind there is absolutely no doubt he had done so and Red Bull had a real reason to celebrate on the occasion of their 250th Formula 1 grand prix.
“I finally feel like the redemption has arrived.” Two years ago, Daniel Ricciardo stood heartbroken on the Monaco podium after victory was cruelly snatched from him by a botched pit stop. This year, his infectious smile was back as he clinched a sensational victory despite a power problem.
“We had problems. I don’t know how much the [team] radio broadcast. We had a lot to deal with during the race. Before half way, I felt a loss of power and I thought the race was done. We got home just using six gears. Thanks to the team, we got it back. So I’m stoked. There was a few doubts that came in mid race. We won Monaco. It feels good.” Said Daniel Ricciardo, after the end of the race.
Formula 1 makes its first trip over the Atlantic for 2018 as the drivers and teams head for the Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 8-10. 2018 Let’s hope the track’s notorious ‘Wall of Champions’ doesn’t give any of them sleepless nights during the two-week run-up to the Canadian race.
Full race results for the Monaco Grand Prix, the sixth round of the 2018 F1 season at the Circuit de Monaco, Monaco.
Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix – Full race classification
1. Daniel Ricciardo AUS Aston Martin Red Bull Racing 78 laps, 1hr 42m 54.807s
2. Sebastian Vettel GER Scuderia Ferrari +7.336s
3. Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport +17.013s
4. Kimi Raikkonen FIN Scuderia Ferrari +18.127s
5. Valtteri Bottas FIN Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport +18.822s
6. Esteban Ocon FRA Sahara Force India F1 Team +23.667s
7. Pierre Gasly FRA Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda +24.331s
8. Nico Hulkenberg GER Renault Sport Formula One Team +24.839s
9. Max Verstappen NED Aston Martin Red Bull Racing +25.317s
10. Carlos Sainz Jr. ESP Renault Sport Formula One Team +1m 09.013s
11. Marcus Ericsson SWE Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team +1m 09.864s
12. Sergio Perez MEX Sahara Force India F1 Team +1m 10.461s
13. Kevin Magnussen DEN Haas F1 Team +1m 14.823s
14. Stoffel Vandoorne BEL McLaren F1 Team +1 lap
15. Romain Grosjean FRA Haas F1 Team +1 lap
16. Sergey Sirotkin RUS Williams Martini Racing +1 lap
17. Lance Stroll CAN Williams Martini Racing +2 laps
Did not finish
Brendon Hartley NZL Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda 70 laps
Charles Leclerc MON Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team 70 laps
Fernando Alonso ESP McLaren F1 Team 52 laps.
0 comments:
Post a Comment