Monaco: Daniel Ricciardo brought back memories of Formula One great Michael Schumacher in his prime on Sunday as the Australian nursed a wounded Red Bull to Monaco Grand Prix victory in the team’s 250th race.

Winning from pole position for the first time in his career, Ricciardo drove for nearly two thirds of the race with a car down on power due to problems that emerged on lap 28.

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, last year’s race winner, finished second to cut Lewis Hamilton’s overall lead to 14 points after six of 21 rounds. Hamilton, the reigning world champion, was third for Mercedes.

“You have done an amazing job today,” team boss Christian Horner said after Ricciardo took the chequered flag 7.3 seconds clear of Vettel. “That is right up there with what Schumacher did... and this is payback for 2016.”
Ricciardo’s only previous pole had been in Monaco two years ago, when he lost out to Hamilton on strategy and finished runner-up.

This time Ricciardo also made a clean start and, controlling the pace and the race, looked as much of a nailed-on certainty for victory as ever exists on Monaco’s treacherous metal-fenced streets.

And then it all seemed to unravel when he reported a loss of power over the team radio.

“OK mate, we can see what’s going on,” his race engineer replied after a pause. “You just need to keep it smooth, keep focused.”

“Will it get better?” enquired the Australian. “Negative,” came the reply.

From then on, Ricciardo — down on power and with Vettel in his rear-view mirrors — was a model of consistency on a track where overtaking is a challenge for even the greatest of talents.

For lap after lap he kept the gap until Vettel's tyres showed signs of wear.

“Absolutely amazing, I don’t know how you did that, Daniel,” said engineer Simon Rennie.

“We had problems. We had a lot to deal with during the race. I felt a loss of power and I thought the race was done. I got home just using six gears,” Ricciardo told reporters later.

“Thanks to the team. We got it back. I’m stoked. From two years ago I feel we got some redemption now, we can put 2016 behind us,” he added.

A largely processional race under cloudy skies saw the safety car stay in the pits, with only a virtual safety car needed in the closing laps.

That was triggered by Sauber’s Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc, the first local F1 driver in 24 years to compete on his home streets, having piled into the back of New Zealander Brendon Hartley’s Toro Rosso at the tunnel exit.

“I think I can show more emotion today than yesterday,” said Ricciardo after the victory.

“I wanted to close my eyes and start crying because I thought that was it, the race was over,” he explained. “We changed a lot of things that didn’t fix the problem. We had to survive with that problem all race. It wasn’t fun. It sucked. I'm exhausted.”

Under the circumstances, Horner said Ricciardo’s performance was ‘unbelievable’.

“He was not going to give this race up this weekend. We lose the MGU-K 17 or 18 laps into the race. Then your brake temperatures go out of control. 

“The tyre temperatures start going up. And he just managed it like he’s on a Sunday afternoon drive.

“They’re telling me on the intercom we’re going to have to retire the car in one or two laps. 

“I said we’re in the lead of the Monaco Grand Prix, we’re keeping going. He drove an unbelievable race this weekend.”

In securing victory, Ricciardo completed a brilliant clean sweep that including topping all three practice sessions, plus all three segments of qualifying. 

The win was the seventh of his career, but his first when starting from within the top three.

Agencies

MONACO GRAND PRIX

RESULTS

1. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) 1:42:54.807; 2. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) +7.336s; 3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +17.013s; 4. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)+18.127s; 5. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) +18.822s; 6. Esteban Ocon (Force India) +23.667s; 7. Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso) +24.331s; 8. Nico Hulkenberg (Renault) +24.839s; 9. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +25.317s; 10. Carlos Sainz (Renault) +69.013s; 11. Marcus Ericsson (Sauber) +69.864s; 12. Sergio Perez (Force India) +70.461s; 13. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) +74.823s; 14. Stoffel Vandoorne (Mclaren) +1 lap; 15. Romain Grosjean (Haas) +1 lap; 16. Sergey Sirotkin (Williams) +1 lap; 17. Lance Stroll (Williams) +2 laps.
Did not finish: Charles Leclerc (Sauber); 19. Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso); Fernando Alonso (Mclaren).  

STANDINGS

Drivers: 1. L. Hamilton 110; 2. S. Vettel 96; 3. D. Ricciardo 72; 4. V. Bottas 68; 5. K. Raikkonen 60; 6. M.Verstappen 35; 7. F. Alonso 32; 8. N. Hulkenberg 26; 9. C. Sainz 20; 10. K. Magnussen 19; 11. P. Gasly 18; 12. S. Perez 17; 13. E. Ocon 9; 14. C. Leclerc 9; 15. S. Vandoorne 8; 16. L. Stroll 4; 17. M. Ericsson 2; 18. B. Hartley 1; 19. R. Grosjean 0; 20. S. Sirotkin 0.   
Constructors: 1. Mercedes 178; 2. Ferrari 156; 3. Red Bull 107; 4. Renault 46; 5. Mclaren 40; 6. Force India 26; 7. Toro Rosso 19; 8. Haas 19; 9. Sauber 11; 10. Williams 4.