Five Takeaways From Daniel Ricciardo's Winning Race

There's A Lot To Unpack...


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Daniel Ricciardo emerged victorious in a chaotic Azerbaijan Grand Prix but that's not all that happened. Let's lift the lid on what we learned in Baku.


1. THE HAMILTON VS VETTEL RIVALRY IS HEATING UP

Having never really battled each other for a championship, we're beginning to see just how the two might race each other for all important points as the season wears on.

And it's not pretty.

Sebastian Vettel nudged Lewis Hamilton under the safety car when the Mercedes didn't accelerate as he'd been expecting.

The German's reaction?

To drive up alongside Hamilton and bang wheels.

The telemetry proved Lewis did nothing wrong and the alleged brake check never happened.

Some say Vettel was lucky to escape the altercation with a 10 second stop-go penalty and could have been looking at disqualification or a race ban.

Lucky too to have extended his championship lead to 14 points.

Pic: Fox Sports


2. THE HONEY BADGER POUNCES

Daniel Ricciardo never expected to win this race, nor did the fans.

Languishing in 17th on lap 4, the Aussie pulled off some confident moves and made the most of the safety car restarts to move himself up into race-winning position.

Luck was also on Ricciardo's side as Force Indias clashed (again) and his own team mate was forced out by technical failure.

Win number five also vaulted him ahead of Kimi Raikkonen to 4th in the drivers standings.


3. LANCE STROLL STANDS UP

Turns out the kid from Canada can drive after all.

After a rocky old start to his rookie season, 18 year old Lance Stroll very nearly finished second in this race.

Not only did he managed to keep his Williams off the concrete walls of the Baku street circuit, he proved his Montreal points-paying finish was no fluke.

Stroll's 3rd place is likely to deliver him another boost in confidence and silence his critics - for now.


4. McLAREN ARE STILL IN THE MUCK...

McLaren could've won this race.

That's the comment from Fernando Alonso who reckons they could've grabbed this one in "normal circumstances."

By normal circumstances we're assuming he meant if there wasn't a Honda in the back.

The Spanish gun finished 9th, but deserves credit for dragging his car further up the grid than it deserves to be.


5. FIGHTS AT FORCE INDIA?

All is not well in Team Pink.

Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon might as well put a solid brick wall down between their pit garages.

Running 4th and 5th the pair rubbed wheels not once but twice... sending Perez into the pits for fresh rubber.

The Mexican made it crystal clear it was the Frenchman's fault.

Ocon, who's still only a rookie, pulled his car back up the field to finish 6th.

 

10 December 2018




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