MOTORSPORT: Ricciardo claims first podium for Renault

Aussie hero Daniel Ricciardo has claimed his first Formula 1 podium since 2018 by finishing third in the Eifel Grand Prix at the Nurburgring.

As Mercedes-AMG’s Lewis Hamilton took an even firmer hold on the 2020 world title with a record-equalling 91st career victory, Ricciardo delivered Renault its first podium since it returned to F1 in 2016.

Joining Hamilton and Ricciardo on the podium after 60 laps was Red Bull-Honda’s Max Verstappen.

Once Hamilton’s teammate and pole qualifier Valtteri Bottas retired with a power unit issue on lap 19, the top two were left to slug it out.

Ricciardo edged out the Racing Point-Mercedes of Sergio Perez for best of the rest, with the McLaren-Renault of Carlos Sainz fifth and Italian GP winner Pierre Gasly sixth for AlphaTauri-Honda.

“Oh wow, it feels like the first time I ever got a podium,” Ricciardo said.

“These emotions and that feeling you get when you get out the car, hug the team, the mechanics slapping you on the helmet, it’s just amazing and I am so happy we did it!

“It’s obviously my first one with Renault and it’s something I wanted to achieve when I set out on this journey with the team.

“I felt like it was coming with our performances in recent races, so I am so happy to have done it.”

Bottas had toughed it out against Hamilton at the first corner to take the lead of the race, but a lock-up on lap 13 enabled his teammate to get by and six laps later the Finn was out of the race.

Hamilton’s win brings him equal with Michael Schumacher on 91 wins and is another step towards title number seven. He now holds a 69-point drivers’ championship lead over Bottas.

“It's tough to put what this means into words. I remember watching Michael winning all those races when I was a kid and playing racing games with my brother and choosing to play as Michael,” said Hamilton, who was presented with one of Schumacher’s helmets to mark the milestone.

“I dreamed of being there myself, but I don't think anyone, and especially me, imagined another driver getting anywhere near Michael's records.

“It was beyond my wildest dreams to be equalling his number of race wins and it just shows that dreams can come true. It's an incredible honour and something that will take some time to sink in.”

If not for a late race safety car Hamilton and Verstappen would have probably lapped the rest of the field such was their pace advantage.

Not that anything should be taken away from Ricciardo, who has threatened the podium for the last few races as the Renault has continually improved.

He qualified sixth, moved immediately into fifth and then pulled a brave move around the outside of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari on lap nine for fourth. Leclerc had qualified a promising fourth in the upgraded Ferrari but did not have race pace, eventually dropping to seventh.

Ricciardo ran a long stint on medium tyres after stopping early during a virtual safety car period. His primary podium rivals Perez and Lando Norris (McLaren) both chose to run longer.

Red Bull’s Alex Albon should have been a threat too, but had an early lock-up and stop, and later retired with radiator damage. Ricciardo’s teammate Esteban Ocon also lost a solid top-10 finish because of a hydraulic failure.

It was a power unit failure in Norris’ McLaren that prompted the safety car for a final sprint. Ricciardo got onto fresh tyres, successfully resisted Perez at the restart and that was that.

He now moves to fourth in the world championship and he and Renault team boss Cyril Abiteboul will get much-discussed matching tattoos as a result of a wager made earlier in the year. Ricciardo says they will have a German theme.

This result will also raise the volume of the debate about whether Ricciardo has made the right choice to switch from Renault to McLaren for 2021. The West Aussie made the call much earlier this year before Renault began its climb through the field.

One man undoubtedly happy about Ricciardo’s move is Fernando Alonso, who replaces him next year and gets his first drive in a Renault next Tuesday in Barcelona.

While the race was run in cold but fundamentally dry conditions, Friday practice was washed out. On Saturday Nico Hulkenberg was called up as a late race replacement for an ill Lance Stroll. He qualified last but finished a meritorious eight.

Behind him, scoring their first points of 2020, were Haas-Ferrari’s Romain Grosjean and Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi.

Next time out on October 23-25, F1 races at the Portimao circuit in Portugal for the first time.