Reigning Cooper Tires British F3 Champion Daniel Ricciardo today underlined his growing potential as a Grand Prix star of the future when he claimed his maiden World Series by Renault race victory.

And for good measure the 20-year-old from Perth took the win in the glare of the media spotlight at Monaco, on his first competitive visit to the Principality. “I came to Monaco with my family when I was eight,” said Daniel. “I never dreamed that I would one day come back and win a race here.”

The Red Bull racer’s Tech 1 Racing machine led the Monaco Grand Prix curtain-raiser from pole position to chequered flag: “I got a good start, didn’t look in my mirrors and pushed hard every lap. I have never been congratulated by so many people at the finish of a race. It’s my first win in Formula Renault 3.5 and now I am going to fight to win the championship.”

Ricciardo pipped to the chequered flag championship leader Mikhail Aleshin, who drives for Daniel’s old British F3 team, Carlin. Another ex-British F3 frontunner, Brendon Hartley, placed fourth for Tech 1.

It also wasn’t a bad day in Monaco for former British Formula 3 men Mark Webber and Nick Tandy; Webber won the Grand Prix to assume the World Championship lead while Tandy took second place in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup race to move to within six points of championship leader and Monaco race victor René Rast.