Daniel Ricciardo has fired shots over the bow of any doubters after winning the Formula 1 Italian grand prix at Monza on Sunday night.
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"For anyone who thought I left, I never left, I just moved aside for a while," Ricciardo told team-mates over the radio after picking up his first win, and podium finish, with the McLaren team.
A speedy display cemented a McLaren one-two with team-mate Lando Norris finishing about one second behind for second place.
"Deep down I knew this was going to come, so thanks for having my back," Ricciardo said.
"I'm overwhelmed and I'm on cloud nine right now," he told reporters after the race.
"I just felt like it was time to make the comeback I guess."
Norris commended the team saying "we deserved that".
"I'm happy with my own result, but even happier knowing that Daniel was first," Norris said. "As a team we had a one-two that as a team we wouldn't have believed coming into this season."
Major championship points go to both drivers after an eventful race at Monza where the championship contenders took each other out of the action.
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton had been making a charge for the podium positions, but Ricciardo and Norris had got some clean fresh air at the front after both had suffered through long pit stops.
Verstappen's break was about five times longer than normal at over 11 seconds, while Hamilton also struggled to get out of the box following more than four seconds at his tyre-change.
About midway through the race a re-joining Hamilton found himself still in arrears of Norris coming out of the pits, which also put him neck and neck with Red Bull's Verstappen.
The two came together dramatically through a chicane with a quick tap launching the back end of Verstappen's car airborne before landing on the top of Hamilton's car as they both veered uncontrollably into the gravel.
Mercedes were able to salvage some Constructor's points with Valtteri Bottas claiming third.