Lewis Hamilton praised Daniel Ricciardo as "one of the best" he's ever raced against after beating the Red Bull driver to victory at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Hamilton turned in a masterful drive to win under heavy pressure from Ricciardo on Sunday, but had been propelled into the lead by Red Bull's disastrous stop on lap 32. Ricciardo had claimed a brilliant pole position and looked set for a win he later felt "screwed" out of.
Hamilton's victory kick-started his championship challenge, ending a win drought stretching back to last October's U.S. Grand Prix. The three-time world champion was full of praise for his Red Bull rival immediately after the race and looked ahead to many more battles with the Australian driver.
"Firstly, big congratulations to this guy [Ricciardo]," Hamilton said on the podium. "He drove phenomenally all weekend and is just one of the best drivers I've raced against. He did a fantastic job today - that was a lot of pressure I was under and it was incredibly close, particularly on those restarts, but he did a phenomenal job, particularly [in qualifying].
"I'm looking forward to many more battles with him. I'm sure he's not the happiest because he started from pole and it's never the best to start pole and come second, but he should feel proud of the way he drove."
The result moved Hamilton and Ricciardo second and third in the championship. Hamilton's deficit to Mercedes teammate Rosberg is now 24 points, with Ricciardo a further 16 behind.