Timely pit stop a win for Ricciardo

DANIEL Ricciardo has taken advantage of a tactical masterstroke by his Red Bull team to win the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.

The winning run of Sebastian Vettel ended yesterday after he dramatically collided with Max Verstappen during a thrilling race while world champion Lewis Hamilton missed the podium as well.

The race took a dramatic twist when the safety car was deployed following a comingtogether between the Toro Rosso pair of Brendon Hartley and Pierre Gasly on lap 31.

Unlike their rivals, Red Bull teammates Ricciardo and Verstappen dived into the pits to take on fresh tyres.

The gamble worked for Ricciardo — who started on the third row of the grid — as he passed Kimi Raikkonen, Hamilton, Vettel and finally race leader Valtteri Bottas for a remarkable win.

But a hot-headed Verstappen, who had been ahead of Ricciardo, blew his chance of victory when he ran off the road in attempting to make his way past Hamilton and then later collided with Vettel.

Mercedes driver Bottas was second and fellow Finn Raikkonen of Ferrari third.

Hamilton was fourth while Vettel, who had won the first two season races in Australia and Bahrain, had to settle for eighth after being hit by Verstappen who received a 10-second penalty for the offence.

It was Ricciardo’s sixth Formula One race victory and first since Azerbaijan last year.

“I don’t seem to win boring races,” said Ricciardo after claiming his first victory since last June in Azerbaijan.

“That was unexpected. It was hectic. I heard the safety car call at turn 14 and they said we are going to stop. It happened very quickly, but it was a decisive, winning move.

“Sometimes you have just got to lick the stamp and send it. I enjoyed it very much.”