How Red Bull embarrassed Ferrari and Mercedes
The Chinese Grand Prix was another example of Daniel Ricciardo's ability to make things happen that others cannot. The Ricciardo factor was a triumph of racecraft but also smarter thinking as he and Red Bull made the most of a quirk of timing
Daniel Ricciardo has an uncanny knack for impeccable timing. His Chinese Grand Prix victory was a masterclass in judging the moment - make that moments - to perfection like no one else. Give him a sniff of victory and he nails it with a ruthless efficiency. This was pure killer instinct.
The razor-sharp timing rubs off on those around him too. Whether it was nailing his overtaking moves as he surged from sixth to first in just nine laps, the decisive call to stop under the safety car, or even making it out of the pits in time in Q1 to avoid starting from the back of the grid after repairs following a Renault turbo lunching itself in practice, Ricciardo and those around him at Red Bull were bang on the money. Six drivers could have won this race, but it was the Australian who went from the man least likely in the early stages to the top of the podium.
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