The victory was McLaren’s first since 2012, the last being Jenson Button’s victory in Brazil in November of that year, and Ricciardo’s first since he was at Red Bull in 2018.

“About time,” smiled the happy Australian before performing his trademark ‘Shoey’ -- glugging the podium champagne from his sweaty boot and sharing it with second-placed team mate Lando Norris and McLaren boss Zak Brown.

“To lead literally from start to finish, I don’t think any of us expected that,” he said.

Ricciardo, whose other seven wins were all with Red Bull, had started on the front row and seized the lead from Verstappen at the start and he completed his day with a bonus point for fastest lap and voted Driver of the Day by fans.

The result, on pace and merit, was a perfect reply from the Australian to his critics after struggling to get to grips with the McLaren since joining from Renault at the end of last year.

“For anyone who thought I’d left, I never left,” he said over the radio after taking the chequered flag. Valtteri Bottas took third for Mercedes after winning the Saturday sprint race and then starting at the back of the grid due to engine penalties.

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