Daniel Ricciardo wins the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix despite ailing engine

Daniel Ricciardo survived engine issues to complete a perfect weekend with victory in the Monaco Grand Prix.

The Australian led every lap, despite an engine problem that left him down on power and forever in the clutches of the second-place Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel.

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton claimed third for Mercedes, struggling throughout the race with tyre graining, while Kimi Räikkönen held off compatriot Valtteri Bottas for fourth place.

With Max Verstappen having to come through the pack after missing qualifying, ending the race ninth, Esteban Ocon secured best of the rest in sixth place for Force India.

The race seemed Ricciardo’s from the start, beating Vettel away from the front row and holding off early pressure to scamper away out of DRS range. But then Ricciardo’s Monaco curse appeared to hit once again when he lost power compared to Vettel and was forced onto the back foot. But with every car seeming to struggle with tyres, he was able to manage the race and just keep Vettel out of DRS range. A late virtual safety car for a dramatic crash for Charles Leclerc offered him respite, and was able to nurse his car home.

Elsewhere, Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly once again impressed to finish seventh and beat Nico Hülkenberg of Renault, closely followed by Verstappen.

Renault’s Carlos Sainz Jnr claimed a distant 10^th, with Marcus Ericsson 11^th. Sergio Pérez’s race was undone by a slow pitstop, coming home 12^th ahead of Kevin Magnussen, Stoffel Vandoorne and Romain Grosjean.

Williams duo Lance Stroll and Sergey Sirotkin endured another race to forget, finishing at the foot of the field after Sirotkin was handed a 10-second stop-go penalty for missing the three-minute warning and Stroll picked up two punctures.

Fernando Alonso became the race’s first retirement when his McLaren stopped on lap 54 with a gearbox issue before Charles Leclerc crashed heavily into the back of Brendon Hartley on the run down to the chicane.

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Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix results

1	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull
2	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	+7.336sec
3	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	+17.013sec
4	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	+18.127sec
5	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	+18.822sec
6	Esteban Ocon	Force India	+23.667sec
7	Pierre Gasly	Toro Rosso	+24.331sec
8	Nico Hülkenberg	Renault	+24.839sec
9	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	+25.317sec
10	Carlos Sainz Jr	Renault	+69.013sec
11	Marcus Ericsson	Sauber	+69.864sec
12	Sergio Pérez	Force India	+70.461sec
13	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	+74.823sec
14	Stoffel Vandoorne	McLaren	+1 lap
15	Romain Grosjean	Haas	+1 lap
16	Sergey Sirotkin	Williams	+1 lap
17	Lance Stroll	Williams	+2 laps
DNF	Charles Leclerc	Sauber	DNF
16	Brendon Hartley	Toro Rosso	DNF
DNF	Fernando Alonso	McLaren	DNF

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