Daniel Ricciardo's charge to the top step: Monza voted as best race of 2021

Daniel Ricciardo made an epic return to the top step of the podium with his maiden race win for McLaren at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix. The race was subsequently voted the best race of the season, as revealed on the F1 Instagram page. The event at Monza was packed with chaos, drama and thrilling battles. It saw a high-profile collision between title protagonists Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, knocking both drivers out of the race. The crash paved the way for the two McLarens to breeze through to the top.

In a poll set up by Formula1.com, fans were asked to pick their favorite race of the year. With the 2021 season being filled with exciting races and an intense rivalry weekend after weekend, it couldn't have been an easy choice to make.

Daniel Ricciardo took his McLaren from fifth to finish first at the Temple of Speed. In achieving so, McLaren gave the sport the only 1-2 finish of the entire season and Papaya fans a massive reason to celebrate.

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"That message was for me" - Daniel Ricciardo on ‘I never left’ radio message

Daniel Ricciardo has struggled, to say the least, ever since his shocking departure from Red Bull at the end of 2018. His move to Renault did not turn out to be as exciting at the Aussie expected, so he hoped to find the right home for himself at McLaren. While he had a bumpy first half of the season, a glorious win in Monza gave him and his team renewed confidence in his capabilities.

Ricciardo reflected on his restored faith, as reported by Planet F1, saying:

“First and foremost, that message was for me because there were times when I did lose a bit of faith and second-guess myself, like ‘why am I struggling so much? Do I have now a bit of fear that I’m not pushing the car as much?”

Ricciardo took longer than expected to find his footing with the new team. His fans, however, expect him to return for the 2022 season with confidence and comfort in the car.