Coasting to victory, British racer Lewis Hamilton's engine bursts into flames as Aussie Daniel Ricciardo clinches maiden win in Malaysian GP
Daniel Ricciardo celebrates on the podium. Pics/Getty Images,AP
Daniel Ricciardo inherited an elusive maiden win of the season yesterday after world champion Lewis Hamilton retired from the lead with a blown engine in an eventful Malaysian Grand Prix.
The Australian was followed home by teammate Max Verstappen, securing Red Bull's first one-two finish since the 2013 season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix.
Hamilton, who took pole with a scorching lap on Saturday, led away cleanly at the start, keeping clear of the chaos unfolding behind him.
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Lewis Hamilton retires from the Malaysian Grand Prix after his engine catches fire in Sepang yesterday
He had been on course to score his 50th career win and was poised to vault back into the lead of the drivers standings ahead of teammate Nico Rosberg, who was running fourth after being tipped into a spin by Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel at the start.
But the Briton's engine expired in a spectacular flash of smoke and fire with just 16 of a total 56 laps still left to run, elevating Rosberg to third at the finish, and dropping him 23 points behind the German in the overall standings instead.
"Yeah, it feels right now that the man above or a higher power is intervening a little bit," Hamilton told reporters.
"(I will) continue to fight more, for sure.
"But if at that end of the year the higher power does not want me to win… then I will have to accept that."
The result also prevented Mercedes from wrapping up their third straight constructors' title at the home race for title sponsor Petronas, with the battle staying alive into the next race in Japan.
Ricciardo, who has been chasing his fourth career win for some time now, could sympathise with Hamilton, having lost an assured victory in Monaco earlier this year to his Mercedes rival after a bungled pitstop.
But he gladly accepted the win.
"I'm not really one for believing in a whole lot but obviously went the other way at Monaco so I'll take this today," said Ricciardo, who celebrated by drinking champagne out of his boot on the podium, in what a gesture called a 'shoey'.
"No hard feelings to Lewis, but I'll definitely take the win," added the Australian, who last won at the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix and came agonisingly close to victory a fortnight ago in Singapore.
Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, winner last year in Malaysia, barely made it through the first couple of corners, retiring on the opening lap with a broken suspension after clouting Rosberg and tipping him into a spin.
He will drop three places on the grid at the next race in Japan after being penalised by stewards.
His team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was fourth. The Finn also collided with Rosberg, for which the Mercedes driver was handed a ten-second time penalty, but was unable to finish close enough to the German to benefit from his sanction.
Williams Valtteri Bottas finished fifth ahead of Force India's Sergio Perez.
Fernando Alonso finished seventh for McLaren after starting dead last ahead of Nico Hulkenberg in the second Force India.
Teammate Jenson Button finished his 300th grand prix in the points in ninth while compatriot Jolyon Palmer scored his first point of the season in tenth.
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