Daniel Ricciardo wins Italian Formula 1 Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen collide
Daniel Ricciardo notches first F1 win in three years but race overshadowed by collision between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
Daniel Ricciardo has won the Italian Grand Prix – his first win in three years, and the first driving in the colours of McLaren – but the overdue triumph was overshadowed by a nasty crash behind him involving arch rivals Lewis Hamilton, the seven time world champion, and in-form championship leader Max Verstappen.
A jubilant Ricciardo celebrated his return to the winner’s podium, more than a 1000 days since winning the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix, by challenging the third place getter Valtteri Bottas, whose girlfriend Tiffany Cromwell is an Australian cyclist, to partake in the infamous “shoey’’ (drinking champagne from the sweaty driver’s boot).
“Come on man, you‘re dating an Australian now!”, said Ricciardo, to which Bottas replied:
“We don‘t have shoeys at home!”
Ricciardo’s teammate Lando Norris was second, giving McLaren its first triumph in nine years and first one-two in 11 years.
After the chequered flag Ricciardo reflected on his struggle to find form after leaving Red Bull for Renault and then moving onto McLaren: “Deep down I knew this was going to come. So thanks, thanks for having my back, and for anyone who thought I left … I never left. I just moved aside for a while. Thanks guys.”
A moment to savour for every single member of that team 🙌#ItalianGP 🇮🇹 @McLarenF1pic.twitter.com/7w3v2WY5Ix
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 12, 2021
But the race was marred by a collision between Hamilton and Verstappen who were going wheel to wheel into the first chicane midway through the race on the Monza circuit.
Verstappen’s Red Bull car pitched on top of the Mercedes’s after hitting the kerb with Hamilton saying he had felt Verstappen’s wheel on his head but insisted he was “okay”.
Replays showed that the halo safety device on the car, as well as the roll hoop, possibly saved his life as the Red Bull car crunched on top of him.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff credited the halo for saving Hamilton’s life.
”It definitely saved Lewis’s life today,” Wolff said. ”It would have been a horrible accident, which I don’t even want to think about.”
At the time, Verstappen stormed out of his car without checking on Hamilton after shouting on the car radio: “That‘s what happens when you don’t give space.”
Verstappen then tweeted: “Today was very unfortunate. The incident could have been avoided if I had been left enough space to make the corner. You need 2 people to make that work and I feel I was squeezed out of it. When racing each other, these things can happen, unfortunately #ItalianGP.‘’
Race stewards later penalised Verstappen two points and handed him a three-place grid penalty.
Long after the race finish, the Dutchman and Briton were trading barbs as to who was at fault – Hamilton was sure that Verstappen “drove into me’’ and the ill-feeling between the two, already at fever pitch, has intensified.
Lewis and Max on *that* collision 🗣🗣 #ItalianGP 🇮🇹 #F1pic.twitter.com/Pc6Gh0H5BH
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 12, 2021
Earlier this year at the British Grand Prix, following a high speed incident, Verstappen was taken to hospital for precautionary tests while Hamilton was celebrating the race win.
But on Sunday, Ricciardo avoided all the drama, having beaten Verstappen off the front of the grid into the first corner, and he led the race to the finish.
The Australian’s only challenge was during pit stops, when it looked like Verstappen may overtake him – but instead of a slick two second tyre change, the Red Bull mechanics took an agonising 11 seconds.
“To lead literally from start to finish, I don‘t think any of us expected that,” Ricciardo said.
“To not only win but to get a one-two, it‘s insane. For McLaren to be on the podium is huge.”
The Monza points scorers 👀#ItalianGP 🇮🇹 #F1pic.twitter.com/0LtcfDvMx2
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 12, 2021
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