Sydney: Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo on Monday tweeted the broadest smile in Formula One after claiming his maiden F1 weekend victory for Red Bull in the Canadian Grand Prix.
“I officially can’t smile any bigger than that, so you’ve seen it all now,” tweeted a beaming Ricciardo on social media after his breakthrough victory in Montreal on Sunday.
The 24-year-old Australian took full advantage of power and electrical problems that hit both championship leader Nico Rosberg and his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages to claim a stirring triumph.
Ricciardo is the fourth driver from Australia to record a Formula One victory, earning his place alongside greats Jack Brabham, Alan Jones and his predecessor at Red Bull, Mark Webber.
It was Ricciardo’s third consecutive podium finish after coming third in Spain and Monaco, and it puts him in third position in the drivers’ championship behind the Mercedes pair of Rosberg and Hamilton.
Ricciardo was close to a victory in his first race with Red Bull in Melbourne at the Australian Grand Prix in March, but after finishing second, he was disqualified for a technical infringement.
Webber labelled the win the “first of many” on Twitter, while Australia’s last Canadian grand prix winner Jones — now a Formula One commentator on Australian television — said: “I don’t care if it’s six o’clock in the morning, I’m going to have a beer!”
Ricciardo’s infectious smile spread all the way back home to Perth in Western Australia where his dad, Joe, watched the race and celebrated the victory with family and friends.
“We’ve had two or three glasses of champagne already,” Ricciardo senior told radio.
“A first win is always a little bit special after a long journey.
“He was amazing. We’re very proud of him.
“I’m lost for words ... Wish we could have been there to hug you.”
Ricciardo’s win was the first win this year for any driver other than Nico Rosberg, the pole-sitter and championship leader, and Lewis Hamilton, a three-time Canadian GP champion. But the twin Mercedes Silver Arrows were forced to slow down midway through the race to keep their brakes from overheating, and Ricciardo was able to take advantage.
“The race came to life at the end,” said Ricciardo, who passed Rosberg with two laps to go. “It’s still a little bit surreal. It’s not like we were leading the whole race, so it’s not like I had time to understand that I was going to win.”
Rosberg finished second under a caution caused during a last-lap crash between Felipe Massa and Sergio Perez, easily protecting his lead in the championship standings. The German has 140 of a possible 175 points through seven races, with two victories and five second-place finishes. Hamilton, who went to the garage after 46 laps when his brakes overheated, remains second in the standings with 118 points.
