To endorse Red Bull’s revival, Ricciardo’s team-mate record-breaking teenager Max Verstappen was fourth-fastest just behind Rosberg, the Dutchman in a vehicle that did not have the same updated Renault engine used by the Australian.
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Lewis Hamilton threw down the gauntlet to Nico Rosberg by setting the pace in opening practice for the Monaco Grand Prix.
It was Ricciardo who topped the time sheets, producing a brilliant and slightly surprising performance to finish 0.606 seconds quicker than P1’s pacesetter.
Red Bull’s Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo set the race lap record of one minute 18.063 seconds around the Mediterranean principality’s twisty low-grip layout previous year but the cars are already faster this season.
Vettel struggled badly in the afternoon, however, damaging his rear wing at the Mirabeau turn and spinning his vehicle at Sainte Devote as he clocked the ninth fastest time.
“The team is responsible for giving them the best possible cars and they are responsible for getting the best out of them”, Wolff said.
Hamilton is without a win in seven races since clinching his third drivers title in Texas past year, and 12 months ago was deprived of victory in Monaco by a bungled pit-call by Mercedes when he looked certain to win.
“We know what happened and we know how we felt”, he said.
World champion Lewis Hamilton has cleared the air with his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg following their spectacular collision at the Spanish Grand Prix. It’s very close, so we shall see how it goes tomorrow [sic]. If Ferrari want to change this on Sunday, they’re not only going to have to pick it up and challenge Mercedes, but hold off the ever-improving Red Bulls too…
Standing on the inside of Monaco’s fearsome Swimming Pool section, which cars sweep through at around 230kph, Sky F1’s Martin Brundle said: “Absolutely unbelievable speed and confidence those two Red Bull drivers have got through here”.
F1 experts were full of praise for Red Bull’s performance.
Finally, the guys tell you why Rosberg moving to Ferrari is only a rumour (he’s not good enough!) and how the whispers of Hamilton missing the Monaco GP came about (he wanted to party on Saturday night) and much more.
But Rosberg has won the past three races here, while things have been more problematic for Hamilton – whose only win in Monaco was driving for McLaren in 2008.
Vettel, the previous youngest victor at the age of 21, when he won the Italian GP in 2008, will be keeping a keener eye on F1’s rising star.
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Verstappen was fifth and fourth in the respective sessions.
