Daniel Ricciardo managed a suspected ERS problem and resisted sustained pressure from Sebastian Vettel to claim a redemptive victory at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Ricciardo, having dominated the weekend’s action, controlled proceedings around the streets of Monaco but suffered a suspected ERS issue on lap 27 of 78, which he had to manage for the rest of the race.
Ricciardo ultimately kept primary opponent Vettel at bay to take the chequered flag for his second win of the season, two years after he was denied a Monaco victory by a botched pit stop.
“That is right up there with what [Michael] Schumacher did in 1995, this is payback for 2016,” Red Bull chief Christian Horner told Ricciardo on the in-lap.
Vettel drifted away from Ricciardo during the closing laps but nonetheless comfortably held the runner-up spot, while reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton finished in third position.
Ricciardo led away at the start as the top 10 slotted into position, with the majority of drivers making an early pit stop to discard Hypersofts for Ultrasofts.
Ricciardo kept Vettel at arm’s length, around three seconds behind, but a technical problem slowed his Red Bull RB14, and his lap times dropped.
Vettel cruised up behind Ricciardo and lingered around the one second mark for much of the race, as Red Bull and Ricciardo attempted to manage the engine problem.
Ricciardo was informed that the problem was not going to improve but he nonetheless stayed out in front, and pulled clear in the closing stages, to make amends for his 2016 despair.
Hamilton had closed to within a couple of seconds of Vettel but dropped back as the race wore on, though third place was sufficient for the Briton to retain his title lead, albeit cut to 14 points.
Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas squabbled for fourth throughout and it was the Ferrari driver who stayed ahead.
Mercedes fitted Supersoft tyres to Bottas’ car, giving him strategic divergence in anticipation of a potential second stop for the Ultrasoft runners, but another service was not required.
Esteban Ocon preserved sixth place for Force India throughout while Toro Rosso's Pierre Gasly ran a long first stint to move up to seventh, and fended off Renault's Nico Hulkenberg and Red Bull's Max Verstappen through the final laps.
Verstappen made up places in the early stages from his back-row position and ninth place was a damage limitation job for the Red Bull youngster.
Carlos Sainz Jr. rounded out the top 10 for Renault, while Marcus Ericsson and Sergio Perez followed behind.
Haas concluded a difficult weekend in 13th and 15th – Kevin Magnussen in front of Romain Grosjean – the pair sandwiched by McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne.
Vandoorne was the sole McLaren driver to reach the chequered flag after a suspected gearbox problem halted Fernando Alonso, who held seventh spot at the time.
Williams endured a dismal Grand Prix as its terrible season showed no sign of improving.
Sergey Sirotkin was slapped with a 10-second stop/go penalty after Williams did not fit his tyres within the required window prior to the start, and he was 16th.
Lance Stroll was the last of the finishers in 17th position as he sustained a couple of punctures, and questioned whether there was any point in staying in the race.
The only major incident of note came with eight laps remaining when home representative Charles Leclerc slammed into the back of Brendon Hartley at the Nouvelle Chicane.
Leclerc, chasing Hartley for 11th, suffered a suspected front-left brake disc failure and attempted to turn to the inside of the track to avoid the Toro Rosso driver, but heavy contact was made.
It caused a brief deployment of the Virtual Safety Car while Leclerc’s wreckage was removed.
Canada’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve will host the next round of the season from June 8 to 10
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