Daniel Ricciardo qualifies third fastest for Singapore Grand Prix

DANIEL Ricciardo was on the hammer of the Mercedes-Benz duo to qualify third fastest for the Singapore Grand Prix.

Red Bull Racing driver Daniel Ricciardo of Australia, left, waves to the crowd while Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany looks on after the qualifying session of the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix.

DANIEL Ricciardo was on the hammer of the Mercedes-Benz duo of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg to qualify third fastest for the Singapore Grand Prix during an electrifying qualifying session on the Marina Bay Street Circuit last night.

Western Australia’s Ricciardo posted a blistering final lap of 1min45.854sec to hold provisional pole position for tonight’s crucial Formula One race. Rosberg squeezed past him with a scintillating lap of 1min45.688, convinced pole would be his until Hamilton nudged him by seven-thousands of a second. Still on the track, Rosberg was told through the Mercedes’ radio: “Hamilton has beaten you by seven thousandths of a second.” Rosberg screamed into his headset: “Dammit!”

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It was mission accomplished for Ricciardo. He proved he was a legitimate threat. Round 14 of the F1 season tour looms as the closest of the season. The tactical battle on a difficult track will negate the advantage to Mercedes from their superior engine. Less than three-tenths of a second separated the top five in qualifying: Hamilton, Rosberg, Ricciardo, Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso. The two-hour race begins at 10pm (AEST).

“It’s definitely encouraging,” Ricciardo said. “Coming into the weekend, I thought if we could be within two or three tenths, it should make us a bit more optimistic about staying with Mercedes in the race. We ended up a bit close than I thought we would, so I think it was a very good day. Street circuits on your toes. Hopefully we can keep it up tomorrow and try to see a better view from the podium.”

Ricciardo hit 310km/h down the final straight. The toughest hairpin bends were negotiated at only 60km/h. Constant reactions and readjustments were required. Marina Bay rewards pure driving more than any other course in F1. “Street circuits are fun,” Ricciardo said. “I think all of us drivers enjoy them. You jump across kerbs. You brush near the wall. It’s almost like the closer you get, the more you want to risk it. I guess that’s why we race. We love that rush, that adrenalin. We want the speed. We wish we could go faster. You come to a street circuit and you just really enjoy handling the car. You’re playing with fire, so to speak. It’s not always the quickest race when you’re sliding around. But you’ve just got to take control on a street circuit.”

Ricciardo is third on the world rankings. Rosberg has 238 points to Hamilton’s 216 and Ricciardo’s 166. The winner in Singapore will receive 25 points. Six events remain this year. Keeping Ricciardo’s hopes alive, the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November will offer a jackpot of 50 points to the winner. Ricciardo received an enormous roar from the Marina Bay grandstands when he held provisional pole. “I’ve got a few mates here this weekend,” he said. “There’s probably a few more I don’t know about. Singapore is pretty close to home and it’s nice to see all those Australian flags out there.”