Daniel Ricciardo savours third as Mercedes feud heats up

THE results of Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who once again finished third, are surprising F1 watchers.

THE F1 world championship leadership has shifted between the moody Mercedes drivers following Nico Rosberg’s lights-to-chequered flag victory at the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday.

While the tiff between Rosberg and his teammate Lewis Hamilton intensified after the 78-lap race around the streets of Monte Carlo, the startling results of Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who once again finished third, are surprising observers.

Scottish racing great Jackie Stewart had nothing but praise for Ricciardo’s third podium finish this season behind Monaco’s local victor Rosberg and the sullen Hamilton (albeit one of his podium positions was relinquished after technical breaches at Melbourne).

“Daniel has certainly exceeded what anyone thought he might achieve this season,’’ Stewart told The Australian before quipping: “Not bad for a tall driver.’’

Red Bull sources have indicated they are revising Ricciardo’s new contract, given that he has outpaced his vastly more experienced teammate and reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel in the handful of races held this year.

Once again on Sunday, Ricciardo beat Vettel, although the German was forced out early on with mechanical failure. Vettel looked on track to reverse his fortunes of late, outperforming Ricciardo at the start (as did Kimi Raikkonen) but he couldn’t manage a third lap after pulling into the pits and was the first to retire.

Ricciardo’s luck held when Raikkonen punctured and had to pull into the pits unexpectedly.

“I inherited third after a poor start,’’ said Ricciardo, 24, smiling broadly at his season-long consistency just behind the Mercedes team.

He said he tried to put pressure on Hamilton in the final five laps, having been told the Briton had complained of grit in his eyes. All the while Rosberg — defending his victory on the same track last year, and having grown up in the principality — was untroubled and led from start to finish. “We got close to at least one of the Mercedes at the end but you know what it’s like around here, it’s quite hard to pass,” Ricciardo said. “I tried to put a bit of pressure on but third was the best we could do.’’

He said his results reflected his own belief in his driving skill.

“I knew coming into the season with the team behind me and sort of a new opportunity, that I would be able to challenge Seb,’’ Ricciardo said.

“Did I think it would be going, let’s say, as well as it was now? I don’t know. But I knew if I had everything underneath me I’d be capable of getting the results. So, fortunately the team saw that as well, back in September, I think, last year. So it’s coming good.’’

Unlike the friction in the Mercedes camp, ties between Ricciardo and Vettel appear harmonious. “We have the same sense of humour,’’ Ricciardo said. But any such harmony has evaporated at Mercedes, with Rosberg and Hamilton refusing to shake hands in the wake of perceived slights. Asked if he would sit down with Rosberg and thrash out their problems, Hamilton said: “I don’t have an answer for you there.” He had earlier said of Rosberg: “We are not friends, we are colleagues.”

Hamilton was furious that Rosberg stymied his own chances of a pole position during qualifying when Rosberg ran off the track having clocked the fastest time. Rosberg has now leapfrogged Hamilton in the championship standings.