Monaco GP 2018

MAY 27, 2018

Race Notes - Ricciardo wins Monaco

Daniel Ricciardo, Monaco GP 2018
© The Cahier Archive

By Mark Karp

Daniel Ricciardo, after struggling half the race with power woes, won the Monaco Grand Prix in his Red Bull, ahead of Sebastian Vettel in the Ferrari in second and Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes in third.

Ricciardo claiming redemption after losing the race two years ago from a bad pit stop. It is Ricciardo’s seventh career win, and second of this season.

Hamilton leads the world championship by 14 points over Vettel. Ricciardo now jumps up to third in the standings.

Kimi Raikkonen in the second Ferrari was fourth, followed by Valtteri Bottas in the Mercedes in fifth, Esteban Ocon in the Force India-Mercedes in sixth, Pierre Gasly in the Toro Rosso-Honda in seventh, Nico Hulkenberg in the Renault in eighth, Max Verstappen, starting in last in the Red Bull was ninth, and Carlos Sainz in the second Renault was in the final points position in tenth place.

Before the start, Ricciardo starts from pole in his Red Bull, with the Ferrari of Vettel alongside on the front row, Hamilton and Raikkonen was on row two, Bottas and Ocon on row three, Alonso and Sainz on row four and Perez and Gasly rounding out the top ten on the grid.

There was some rain earlier before the race, and it left some questioning what will happen during the event.

Most drivers looking for a one stop-strategy after starting the top ten on hypersoft tyres, and after the top ten most starting on ultrasoft tyres.

At the appointed time the grid came around, the lights went off and the race began with Ricciardo taking the lead over Vettel, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Bottas, Ocon and Alonso.

Hartley reports that he made contact on the first lap, but continues.

At lap 2 Ricciardo has a 1.2s lead over Vettel.

Hamilton reports, “the pace is quite slow.”

On lap 4 Vettel sets fast lap at 1m17.488s. Verstappen is up to 17th place.

Sirotkin is handed a ten-second stop-go penalty for not having his tyres fitting in time on on the grid, and comes in to serve it on loap 8.

Verstappen passes Stroll, and shortly after passes Hartley for 14th place.

On lap 9 Ricciardo sets fast lap at 1m16.872s.

On lap 10 Stroll limps back to the pits and the team changes the tyres and front wing.

At lap 10 Ricciardo leads Vettel by 1.8s, followed by Hamilton, Raukkonen, Bottas, Ocon, Alonso

At the end of lap 11 Hamilton pits from third and switches to ultrasoft tyres and rejoins in sixth behind Ocon.

On lap 13 Ricciardo sets fast lap at 1m15.562s.

Ferrari tells Vettel, “if you can keep this pace, stay out.”

On lap 14 Hamilton passes Ocon out of the tunnel for fifth place.

On lap 16 Vettel pits from second place for ultrasoft tyres and rejoins in third.

The next lap Ricciardo the leader pits along with Raikkonen in second, for ultrasoft tyres. Sainz and Bottas for supersoft tyres, pit as well.

On lap 19 Alonso pits.

On lap 22 Perez pits and has a slow stop.

Running last, Stroll tells the team, “what is the point of even racing right now?"

At lap 22 Ricciardo leads Vettel by

At lap 23, Ricciardo leads Vettel by 1.6s, followed by Hamilton (7.6s), Raikkonen (9.2s), Bottas (21.7s), Ocon (22.5s), Gasly (37.7s), Hulkenberg (40.3s), Alonso (46.7s) and Verstappen (48.8s) in tenth place.

On lap 24 Ocon pits and rejoins in eighth.

Raikkonen closes to under a second behind Hamilton in third.

Onm lap 27 Ricciardo reports to the team, “losing power”. Vettel is closing on Ricciardo.

Red Bull tells Ricciardo, “we can see what’s going on, you need to keep it smooth”, the Australian having to deal with the provlem, perhaps a power unit.

Bottas is running strongly in fifth place and is closing on Raikkonen.

Vettel in second has graining on his left front tyre.

On lap 36 Stroll is limping back to the pits, and switches to hypersoft tyres.

On lap 38 Gasly finally pits for supersoft tyres and rejoins in tenth place.

At lap 40 Ricciardo, at a slow pace, leads Vettel, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Bottas, Hulkenberg, Ocon, Alonso, Verstappen and Gasly in tenth place.

Vettel complains to Ferrari that his dash has blacked out.

Hamilton is complaining that his tyres are in bad shape.

Gasly is closing on Verstappen in ninth place.

The top five positions are separated by 8 seconds.

Verstappen tells the team. “my rear tyres are gone”, and pits on lap 48 and switches to hypersoft tyres.

On lap 51 Hulkeberg makes his stop and takes on hypersoft tyres and rejoins on tenth.

Gasly is closing on Alonso in seventh place.

Alonso is pulls off the track complaining of a gearbox issue.

Sainz, Hulkenberg and Verstappen are following each other closely.

Hulkenberg gets past Sainz up the hill and takes eighth, and thanks his team mate.

On lap 58 Verstappen gets past Sainz into ninth place.

On lap 60 Verstappen sets fast lap at 1m14.847s, back in ninth place.

On lap 62, Stroll pits again for hypersoft tyres.

Hulkenberg is closing on Gasly in seventh.

At lap 65 Ricciardo continues to lead Vettel by 1.1 seconds, followed by Hamilton, Raikkonen, Bottas, Ocon, Gasly, Hulkenberg, Verstappen and Sainz in tenth place.

Red Bull tells Verstappen, “make sure any future overtakes are clean please Max.”

On lap 70, Grosjean pits for fresh tyres. Perez tells the team, “talk to me man - I am getting bored.”

Ocon is closing on Bottas, whos tyres have been going off, in fifth place

On lap 72 Leclerc hits the back of Hartley into the chicane with a brake failure. The virtual safety car is deployed, and a lot of debris needs to be removed.

Vandoorne pits for new tyres.

On lap 74 the virtual safety car period ends, and the race resumes with only a few laps left.

Ricciardo gets away and has a 5 second lead over Vettel.

To the line Ricciardo takes the