2018 Monaco F1 Grand Prix: Ricciardo wins in Alonso's first race without scoring points

The victory in the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix F1 race went to Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian takes his second win of the season, his seventh in his racing career, and his first at the Monte Carlo Circuit, a track where he came close to winning back in 2016, finishing second, and where he had stood on the podium twice more without ever climbing to the top step as he did today.

The Red Bull driver started from pole position, a pole that also broke the circuit record, which made him the clear favourite for the final victory, given the conditions of Monaco’s street circuit and how difficult overtaking is there. However, his win was far from easy: Ricciardo’s car lost part of its power when the electric motor failed, prompting his mechanics in the pits to consider the possibility of retiring.

Ricciardo not only carried on but also managed to hold on to the lead for practically forty laps, struggling to keep Sebastian Vettel behind him. Vettel pressed hard and searched for an almost impossible gap to pass the Australian for as long as his tyres allowed. The final podium was completed by Lewis Hamilton, who spent the entire race complaining over the radio about his car’s performance and, in particular, about the tyres.

The best Spaniard in Monaco was Carlos Sainz, who could only finish tenth, though he still picked up an extra point in what was his fourth consecutive race scoring points. Luck was not on the side of Fernando Alonso, who had to retire after a gearbox problem. He has his first zero of the season, ending the Asturian’s streak of scoring points in every race so far.

The final classification of the Monaco Grand Prix was as follows:

Hamilton and Vettel, now the only two drivers who have scored points in every race so far in 2018, continue their battle at the front of the World Championship. The Briton holds the lead despite the three points Vettel has cut into his advantage, with 110 points for the former against 96 for the runner-up. Thanks to the win, Ricciardo moves up to third place, overtaking Valtteri Bottas, who could only manage fifth.

The next round of the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship will be in June, on 8, 9 and 10 of that month. It will be the Canadian Grand Prix, held at the legendary Gilles Villeneuve circuit, home of the famous Wall of Champions, where racing has taken place since 1987.