Ricciardo won Monaco GP with six gears
Daniel Ricciardo has revealed that he had to win the Monaco with just six gears, after suffering a lack of full engine power.
The Australian had got away cleanly at the start from pole position, and appeared to have everything under control, when he began to report over the radio that he was suffering from a lack of horsepower.
Despite being around 20km/h slower down the straights, and unable to use the seventh and eighth gear, he nevertheless managed to hold off the threat from closest challenger Sebastian Vettel to take his first win in Monaco, and make up for the disappointment of two years ago when a botched pit stop cost him.
“This was two years in the making,” said Ricciardo. “ I finally feel the redemption has arrived.
“We had problems we had a lot to deal with during the race. Before halfway I felt a loss of power and thought the race was done.
"We got home just using six gears, and thanks to the team we got it back.”
Red Bull boss Christian Horner told Ricciardo over the team radio at the end of the race that the win was reminiscent of Michael Schumacher’s second-place finish in Spain in 1994, which was achieved despite the German's Benetton being stuck in fifth gear.
“That is right up there with what Schumacher did,” said Horner. “This is payback for 2016.”
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko described Ricciardo's win as "unbelievable" and reckoned that no other driver could have managed the issue - which Horner described as an MGU-K problem - as well as the Aussie.
"It was a serious problem and he managed," Marko told Sky. "It was unbelievable. I don’t think any other driver could have done it.
"[We were] nervous because in the beginning it looked like it would slow the car further down."
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