Ricciardo joined McLaren on a three-year contract for the 2021 season after his exit from Renault, but initially failed to match team-mate Lando Norris for pace.
Norris scored three podium finishes and more than double the points of Ricciardo before the summer break as the Australian struggled through the first half of the season.
But Ricciardo responded in emphatic fashion by scoring McLaren’s first win for almost nine years in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, leading home Norris for a 1-2 finish.
Ricciardo took to his radio after winning the race to tell his McLaren team: “Deep down I knew this was going to come, so thanks for having my back. And for anyone who thought I left, I never left. Just moved aside for a while.”
Ricciardo explained how the message was directed not only at those who had written him off, but also at himself after conceding he had some doubts and questions arise.
“I appreciate that message was going to be directed at I guess people who did maybe…
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