Marko: Ricciardo's Monaco win was a masterpiece

After topping all practice sessions and claiming pole in style, early on in the race Ricciardo led but was in trouble with a failed MGU-K, which robbed him of up to as much as 25% power.

The Australian and his crew tackled the problem and drove around it, the Australian doing enough to claim his first victory at the principality and at the same time delivering the most commanding performance of his Formula 1 career.

A delighted Marko was one of the first to congratulate the Australian after the race also enjoying himself during team celebrations which Verstappen did not attend.

In the aftermath of the victory, told Auto Motor und Sport, "What Daniel Ricciardo did in the car was absolutely incredible."

"With the help of the engineers, he made up for the handicap of the failed MGU-K. Also making sure the brakes did not overheat as in the case of [Lewis] Hamilton in 2014 during the race in Montreal. He drove quickly when and where it was needed."

"He had to pace in the corners, which of course impacted the tyres but in the end, they looked better than those on the Mercedes and Ferrari cars. It was a real masterpiece but you have to say that he needed a good car for that. The Barcelona upgrade was the basis for our car being so strong in Monte Carlo."

At one point team chief Christian Horner was told to retire the car by the engineers, but the team principal opted to soldier on and suffer the consequences. An inspired decision that adds to what is a victory for the ages.

Marko recalled the moments when they were faced with the prospect of retiring Ricciardo from the lead, "The first reaction was: switch off the car to limit the damage, but then our engineers revised that plan. Meanwhile, we did not hear from the Renault people. We wanted to continue until the bitter end or a happy end. We were lucky!"

"The tension was high, we feared every lap thinking it could be the last one. We did not know what was going on with the MGU-K. If there is a defect, debris can damage the engine. We were also worried about the brakes catching fire. For us it was nail-biting."

As for the problem Marko revealed, "Today we know that the MGU-K itself was not broken. There was a sloppiness in the assembly."

Horner compared Ricciardo's drive to Michael Schumacher's 1994 victory at the harbourside venue, but Marko begged to differ, "I do not like comparisons."

"The technology of today's cars is much more complex than it was 20 years ago. Without the help of the engineers, it would be difficult to do what we did. The two instances are not comparable."

"Had that happened to him in Barcelona, he would not have been able to stay ahead. The straights are too long for that style of driving. I think each achievement stands alone," added Marko.