F1 | Monaco GP – Ricciardo doesn't say boredom, but joy. Ferrari political victory and 2nd place with a "world championship" Vettel

Daniel Ricciardo's seventh career symphony is a pearl of drive and tenacity, it is self-sacrifice and determination. It is the victory of character and positivity, dissolved in a smile that alternates with very sweet tears of joy. On another track Ricciardo would probably have been suddenly stripped by his pursuers, while in Monte Carlo he just had to close in Riccio on himself, concentrate on that steering wheel and ask his class for the maximum effort for a racing driver, to win by giving up two change, with the engine throttled, driving under revs.

It was an advert for driving, but the enthusiasm for the Monegasque feat of the likeable and talented Red Bull standard bearer cannot alone hide too much dust in F1's parlor under the carpet. As often happens in the Principality, an electrifying Saturday was followed by a race that closed after the first round of pit stops. The more car technology evolves, the more the Monte Carlo circuit becomes anachronistic.

It's not so much the lack of overtaking, which actually occurs when there is a substantial difference in performance between the cars, but precisely the impossibility of passing at the same level on the track. If you're behind you stay there. End. Montecarlo is a bit like the famous advertisement, is the expectation of pleasure itself pleasure? It depends on tastes. It may be nice to see a train of "crazy people" grazing the walls and even giving them a few harmless kisses. The substantial awareness that under normal conditions very little will happen can be boring. Monaco will always divide. The charm is intact, but the fascinating setting may no longer be enough for those seeking entertainment at all costs (read Liberty Media).

Monte Carlo was also a small revenge for Ferrari after three nightmare GPs full of mistakes and accidents. Sebastian Vettel had a steady hand and the right clarity to bring home the best possible result. This time the wall did not risk strange strategies and the Red - although not as comfortable as last year - still performed better than the Mercedes. The criticism of Seb for not having attempted to overtake Ricciardo was instrumental and biased.

A choice worthy of applause instead. It would have been of no use, on a circuit where you don't pass and against an opponent who makes melee one of his strong points, to overheat the engine in the slipstream or to ruin the ultrasoft compounds, which are already stressed enough, even more. The feeling is that Vettel counted to ten and then to twenty, pinching himself on the stomach and curbing the instinct for victory that certainly pervades him. After all, finishing ahead of Hamilton represents half a victory, if at the base there is the certainty of having the right car in your hands to aim for the world championship crown. The important thing for Ferrari was to reverse the trend and put the wheels back in front of Mercedes.

The victory on the track will return soon, for now Maranello can celebrate the one off the track: the inferences and rumors about the alleged irregularities at the ERS were swept away by Charlie Whiting and Jean Todt, who were also annoyed by the climate of suspicion fueled in at least ambiguous of some teams. Something is changing.

Antonino Rendina

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