Canadian Grand Prix (2014): RESULT

Mon, 09 Jun 2014

For the first time in 2014, it looks as if the Red Bulls are in with a chance after Sebastian Vettel managed to put his car in third place on the grid, behind Rosberg on pole and Hamilton in second spot, with Ricciardo in the second Red Bull in sixth behind the Williams cars. But after one of the best Grands Prix for a very long time, it was the Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo that took the win after a dramatic tussle in the closing stages saw the Australian take his maiden win, a struggling Rosberg taking second place to extend his lead over Hamilton and a resurgent Vettel taking the final podium spot.

At the start, Hamilton got a better take off than Vettel and pulled ahead, only to be baulked at the first corner by Rosberg and losing second spot to Vettel in the process.

That exciting start was closely followed by a coming together of the Marussias of Bianchi and Chilton, wrecking both cars and bringing out the safety car on lap one for six laps.

The restart saw the Mercedes of Hamilton and Rosberg vying for first place with Hamilton pushing Rosberg in to a few mistakes, but it was the two Mercedes streets ahead of the pack until Hamilton started to complain about a lack of power. And so did Rosberg.

Both Mercedes came in for a second pit stop, with Hamilton briefly taking the lead before Rosberg got it back, but then Hamilton – with smoke coming from the back – retired on lap 45 with brake failure.

Rosberg was struggling similarly – but not terminally – and the pack caught up before Ricciardo took the lead with two laps to go.

Behind Ricciardo and Rosberg, Vettel had taken third place and behind him was Sergio Perez trying to hold off a fast moving Felipe Massa in the Williams.

Massa made a mess of an attack on Perez in the closing minutes of the race, took Perez out, narrowly missed Vettel in the process and ended his own race too. It was a heavy shunt, but fortunately both Perez and Massa escaped unscathed and Jenson Button got a lift to fourth spot as a result.

But it was victory for Ricciardo and Red Bull – the first none Mercedes win of 2014 – with Hulkenberg in fifth, Alonso in sixth, Bottas in seventh, Vergne in eighth, Magnussen in ninth and Raikkonen rounding out the top ten in the Ferrari.

What a race.

By Cars UK