2018 Monaco Grand Prix (Ricciardo Masterclass)

Lore & Background

Ricciardo was born in Perth, Western Australia, and began karting at age nine. He won the 2009 British Formula 3 Championship and joined the Red Bull Junior Team, making his Formula One debut with HRT in 2011. After two seasons at Toro Rosso, he was promoted to Red Bull Racing in 2014, where he finished third in the championship in both 2014 and 2016. At the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix, Ricciardo dominated the weekend, taking pole position and leading every lap of the race despite a sudden loss of engine power that forced him to manage the car for over 50 laps. His victory was hailed as a masterclass in damage control and racecraft.

Reader's Guide

As of the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix, Verstappen has achieved 71 race wins, 48 pole positions, 37 fastest laps, and 131 podiums. He holds records for most wins in a season (19), most podium finishes in a season (21), most consecutive wins (10), and most consecutive pole positions (8, shared with Ayrton Senna). He is contracted to Red Bull until at least the end of the 2030 season. Outside Formula One, he runs the Verstappen Racing team, competes in sports car racing, and has competed in sim racing since 2015. He was listed in Time's 100 most influential people in 2024 and was appointed an Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau in 2022.

Did You Know?

• Ricciardo is the first Australian driver to win the Monaco Grand Prix since Jack Brabham in 1959.
• He won the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix despite losing around 25% of his engine power on lap 18, forcing him to drive defensively for the rest of the race.
• Ricciardo's victory at Monaco was his seventh and final win for Red Bull Racing before moving to Renault for the 2019 season.
• He is nicknamed 'The Honey Badger' for his fearless and aggressive overtaking style.