Daniel Ricciardo takes his first F1 win in Canada

Daniel Ricciardo’s first Formula 1 victory arrived in the 2014 Canadian Grand Prix, a race that turned Mercedes’ early hybrid-era dominance into something briefly mortal. On 8 June 2014 in Montreal, Ricciardo won for Red Bull after both Mercedes cars suffered power-unit and braking problems, then passed Nico Rosberg late in the race.

Background

The 2014 season had begun with Mercedes in charge. The new turbo-hybrid regulations had rewarded the team’s power unit, packaging and preparation, and Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg had been fighting mainly each other at the front. Red Bull, champion from 2010 to 2013, had fallen back with Renault power, although Ricciardo’s early form had already made him one of the season’s livelier stories.

Ricciardo was new to the senior Red Bull team and was being measured against Sebastian Vettel, the four-time reigning champion. That was not supposed to be an easy comparison. By the time Formula 1 reached Canada, Ricciardo had already shown he was not there to provide cheerful background decoration.

The race changes shape

Rosberg started from pole and led much of the race, with Hamilton close behind. For a long spell it looked like another Mercedes contest. Then both cars developed energy recovery problems, which affected performance and put extra strain on the rear brakes. Hamilton eventually retired, while Rosberg kept going with a wounded car.

Behind him, the race opened up. Sergio Perez, Felipe Massa, Vettel and Ricciardo all came into play as strategy and tyre life converged. Ricciardo’s key work came late. He passed Perez, then closed on Rosberg. With three laps remaining he overtook the Mercedes into Turn 1 and took the lead. It was a clean, opportunistic move in exactly the kind of race where a driver has to be present when the favourite weakens.

A first win with edge

The race ended under safety-car conditions after Massa and Perez collided heavily on the final lap. Ricciardo crossed the line first, with Rosberg second and Vettel third. It was Red Bull’s first win of the hybrid era and Ricciardo’s first Grand Prix victory.

The result did not change the shape of the 2014 championship. Mercedes remained far ahead. But it changed Ricciardo’s standing. He was no longer simply the smiling Australian promoted from Toro Rosso. He was a Grand Prix winner who had beaten Vettel in the same team and taken his chance when the race finally became available.

Canada 2014 also kept Montreal’s reputation intact. The circuit has a habit of turning small problems into large results. On this occasion, it turned a Mercedes control exercise into Ricciardo’s breakthrough.