“Relieved,” Ricciardo reflects on his victory: reactions from the top 3 in Monaco!

What stress! On a cloud against the clock on Thursday and Saturday, Daniel Ricciardo suffered this Sunday to secure the victory in Monaco. After a decent start, the Australian experienced a slight loss of power around the 18th lap. The Monaco resident then had to work hard to shift gears at the right moment, following his engineer’s instructions. All this with Sebastian Vettel trailing less than two seconds behind, along with a gradual comeback from Lewis Hamilton. A constant anxiety, finally dispelled at the finish line after two hours of effort.

First: Daniel Ricciardo

« We were controlling the race. It happened suddenly: I couldn’t accelerate fully anymore. It started to stress me out after several laps. But we were still in the running for the win. I was going slower, but the guys behind couldn’t overtake me on this track. I had to adjust my brake balance differently. I couldn’t really enjoy my position. But in the end, it’s a huge relief! »

Tension peaked on the 75th lap with the deployment of the Virtual Safety Car following the collision between Leclerc and Hartley.

« I just wanted this race to be over », says the day’s winner, who feared that his engine would go wild with the changes in pace. « I told myself it was going to be difficult at the restart. I wasn’t enthusiastic but in the end, it helped me anyway. »

Finally victorious in Monaco after being stripped of a certain victory in 2016, “The Honey Badger” becomes the third Australian to win in the Principality, after Jack Brabham in 1959 and Mark Webber, a double winner in 2010 and 2012. Like his predecessor, Daniel Ricciardo took his little dive into the Red Bull pool.

At the drivers’ championship, Daniel Ricciardo takes third place, less than one victory behind Sebastian Vettel.

Second: Sebastian Vettel

Could he do more? The runner-up in today’s race had a slight opportunity by getting a better start than Daniel Ricciardo, but failed to take the inside. The four-time world champion never had clean air, except on the 16th lap, during his pit stop. Daniel Ricciardo then came to defend his position by changing tires at the end of the next lap. Despite his rival’s power loss beginning, Sebastian Vettel remained in second place until the finish.

« We had the pace… but Daniel had the answer to everything! He was the strongest and I couldn’t overtake him. I quickly got into trouble with my tires. He had his issue, but he still managed to widen the gap at the restart… I was surprised and no longer trusted my tires, so I lost time. »

The German is still getting quite a good deal by now being only 14 points behind Lewis Hamilton.

Third: Lewis Hamilton

The reigning world champion experienced a stop-and-go race. At times, the Brit caught up with the leading duo, at times he fell back. Lewis Hamilton finally lost ground at the end of the race after the application of the Virtual Safety Car. The Mercedes driver didn’t show any annoyance but seemed tired of journalists’ questions. He began his remarks by saluting the new prince of Monaco.

« Congratulations to Daniel, I am very, very happy for him: getting his first win in Monaco is special. »

Sensitive to graining issues on his car, the Mercedes driver didn’t show real pleasure when reflecting on his race. « The tires were not great, we all drove very slowly. »

« It wasn’t an attack race, we were all at a cruising pace to do 50 laps with the tires. I don’t know how it looked from the outside but if I had been a spectator, I think I would have fallen asleep on the couch! I can celebrate now! »

Winner in Monaco 10 years ago, Lewis Hamilton still remains at the top of the current world drivers’ championship, with 110 points. Interestingly, the three drivers involved have all secured two victories… leaving no success for the rest of the field!