Ricciardo caps wild Canadian Grand Prix with first victory

Red Bull temporarily ended the dominance of Mercedes this season as Daniel Ricciardo won the Canadian Grand Prix - the first victory of his career - and reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel was third

The Australian Ricciardo passed championship leader Nico Rosberg’s Mercedes on the third-to-final lap to secure the first victory by a non-Mercedes driver this season.

Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo capped a thrilling Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday by winning the first Formula One victory thanks in large part to an off day for the dominant Mercedes team.

“This is ridiculous,” said Ricciardo, who had finished third in the last two Grand Prix races.

“The race really came to life in the final 15 laps. ... It’s an amazing feeling. I’m really grateful for this.”

Pole-sitter Nico Rosberg fought off problems throughout the final 35 laps of the race on the 4.361-kilometre Circuit Gilles Villeneuve track to hold on for second place and extend his lead in the driver’s standings.

In a nutshell * Mercedes suffer first defeat of the season as Red Bull’s Ricciardo finishes first, ahead of Rosberg and teammate Vettel * Thrilling race ends behind safety car after Massa’s Williams smashed into the back of Perez’s Force India * Hamilton, second in the championship, is now 22 points behind Rosberg after retiring with brake problem

“We had a problem at the pit stop, and that is why I dropped behind,” said Rosberg, who ran the second half of the race without a hybrid system and therefore drastically less power.

“I lost a lot of power in the straights, but it did not quite work out. I couldn’t hold off Daniel Ricciardo.”

Mercedes technical director Paddy Lowe was impressed by the German’s race, “Both cars had problems, but Nico was able to hold on somehow throughout and really gave us a great performance.”

Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel finished third for his second third-place showing of the season in Red Bull.

“Daniel’s first win and a first win for Renault in the new era of engines,” said Vettel, who started the race from third on the grid.

Rosberg did increase his lead in the driver’s standings with 140 points to 118 for teammate Lewis Hamilton, while Ricciardo jumped to third with 79 while Vettel is fifth with 60 points - nine behind Fernando Alonso.

Hamilton started second but was forced out of the race after 46 laps with brake problems.

Five cars were within two seconds of each other in the final eight laps until Felipe Massa and Sergio Perez both crashed out in the penultimate lap, with the Williams and Force India cars going out on either side of Vettel, who somehow stayed out of harm’s way.

The accident brought out the safety car, and Ricciardo could enjoy the final lap to his glorious day.

Jenson Button finished fourth in a McLaren ahead of Force India’s Nico Huelkenberg and Ferrari’s Alonso.

The Formula One circuit continues June 22 with the Austrian Grand Prix on Red Bull Ring.