Ricciardo: Shades of Monaco '16 in Mercedes tyre gaffe

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Daniel Ricciardo says Mercedes' tyre mix-up in Sunday's Sakhir GP that crushed George Russell's hopes of winning his first race with Mercedes inevitably reminded him of his own misfortune and botched win at Monaco in 2016.

Russell was on course to achieve a sensational maiden F1 win in Bahrain as Lewis Hamilton's stand-in when a double dose of trouble halted the Briton's charge dead in its tracks, not once but twice.

During a double-stacked pitstop under the safety Car, Mercedes fumbled its set of tyres, mistakenly bolting on to Russell's car two tyres destined for teammate Valtteri Bottas.

The costly mistake forced Russell into an additional pitstop after which, when the race resumed, he undertook a spirited charge to hunt down race leader Sergio Perez only to be recalled by his team for a fourth time into the pitlane following a puncture.

Ricciardo admitted the commotion and confusion in the Mercedes camp reminded him of when he pitted from an authoritative lead at Monaco in 2016 only to find his Red Bull team unprepared, an oversight that robbed the Aussie of a sure win.

"What an insane race last night. Where do I start?" Ricciardo said in a message posted on social media.

"Checo got his first win after nearly being out on lap 1! Long time coming so congrats again to him.

"George also had something which reminded me of Monaco 2016. Damn. I know his pain but he’s a young rooster and will get plenty more stabs at it. So in short, F1 won yesterday."

Read also: Wolff says radio failure led to 'colossal f*** up' for Mercedes

Ricciardo concluded his evening of racing at Sakhir P5, a result the Renault driver did not hail as particularly impressive.

"Fifth for me seems ok on paper, but yeah not the best executed race," he said.

"Was pretty filthy but all good. One to go. Let’s close out 2020 strong as it has been and fuck this year right off!"

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.