It will go down as one of the most successful days in Australian motorsport history but Speedcafe.com wants to know which victory was the most impressive.
Australian drivers conquered two of motor racing’s most prestigious events in a matter of hours, while a future star stamped his authority on the biggest stage.
Daniel Ricciardo: Monaco Grand Prix
Daniel Ricciardo produced arguably the drive of his career to pull off a remarkable against the odds victory in the Monaco Grand Prix.
The Red Bull driver had to manage an ailing Renault engine after a MGU-K failure left him 25 percent down on power.
Despite the clear handicap, Ricciardo was able to drive around the issue while fending off Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel to take his first win on the Monaco streets.
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It proved to be a sweet moment for the 28-year-old having witnessed a likely win in 2016 slip through his hands following a bungled pit stop from his Red Bull team.
Victory aside, Ricciardo was the man to beat throughout the Monaco Grand Prix weekend as he topped every practice and qualifying session, before taking out the win from pole.
Claiming the fastest lap was the only accolade that escaped the Perth native as the out of contract driver once again showed his prowess.
Will Power: Indianapolis 500
Will Power made history by becoming the first Australian to conquer the Indianapolis 500 in the 102nd running of the iconic race.
The Toowoomba driver has come close to taking out the pinnacle of American motorsport in 2015 when he finished second, but on his 11th attempt he finally had the chance to drink the famous milk offered to the winner.
Where other Australians including Sir Jack Brabham, Geoff Brabham, Vern Schuppan, Ryan Briscoe, James Davison and Matthew Brabham, have attempted, Power triumphed after taking control of the race following the third round of pit stops.
Power then produced a faultless drive to take arguably his most prestigious win of his career.
It was a victory the 37-year-old labelled as a ‘very special’ achievement.
“To be the first Australian to win the Indy 500, that’s very special,” he said.
Pic: Sebastiaan Rozendaal/Dutch Photo Agency
“Maybe they might recognise me down there now… I don’t think many people know who I am down there, because we don’t have an IndyCar race there anymore.”
Alex Peroni: Formula Renault Eurocup, Monaco
Rising single seater star Alex Peroni showed his burgeoning potential by taking a commanding win and second place finish in the hotly contested Formula Renault Eurocup.
The 18-year-old Tasmanian drove superbly to win the opening race from pole position by 4.3s on the narrow Monte Carlo streets.
Peroni’s win came on the biggest platform for a junior drivers as Formula Renault acted as a support series for the Monaco Grand Prix.
The Hobart teenager then backed up his success by scoring a second-placed finish in Race 2 as he displayed his talent to onlooking F1 teams.
Who impressed you the most? Cast your vote below in this week’s Pirtek Poll.
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