'Back on top: Daniel surges to superb win at Monza’

For the first time in three seasons, Daniel is an F1 winner again, taking his eighth career victory after a Monza masterclass.

A Grand Prix win is sweet at any time. But when it comes after a year of struggles with a new team? Even sweeter. When it comes after a drought that goes back three years and two teams? Sweeter still. And when it's the first for your new team in over nine years? Is there even a limit to sweetness?

Daniel's eighth career win at the Italian Grand Prix was one that combined opportunity, belief by the bucketload and a willingness to not squander the chance that presented itself. And after 53 laps of Monza on Sunday, Daniel's first thoughts were to be so conflicted with what thoughts to get out first that words failed him …

"I don't think it's actually sunk in yet," Daniel says.

"It's probably the first time I've been overwhelmed by winning. It's pretty rare for me to be lost for words, maybe this is the first time!

"It's been over three years, and no-one would have predicted this to happen, particularly after the first half of this year and how things have gone for me.

"As bad as things have been at stages for me this year, I knew deep within myself that this was possible – and knowing how much I wanted it, I never doubted myself even if my confidence has been pretty low at times. Some of the speed bumps along the way only make days like this so much sweeter."

So how did it happen? The Italian Grand Prix was the second race this year to employ the sprint qualifying format on Saturday, meaning that regular qualifying was on Friday evening. A sign that Daniel felt something special was possible this weekend was to be fifth on Friday – and unhappy about it, missing the top three by a miniscule 0.029secs.

That frustration was filed away for Saturday's sprint, where he blasted past world champion Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) and McLaren teammate Lando Norris to be third at the first corner, where he stayed for the remaining 18 laps. A third place on the grid for Sunday's race became second when sprint race winner Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) went to the back of grid with an engine penalty, and for the first time since Mexico 2018 when he qualified on pole, Daniel had a clear track ahead of him on the way to the first corner.

Daniel then made a superb start, nailing pole-sitter Max Verstappen (Red Bull) off the line and leading into the first chicane, and he was able to sit a second ahead of his former teammate until pitting on lap 22. The race was soon neutralised after title rivals Verstappen and Hamilton crashed out at the second corner, and by lap 27, as the safety car circulated, Daniel was in front with no more pit stops to make.

From there? Flawless, Daniel ending up winning by 1.7 seconds from teammate Norris, the first 1-2 for McLaren since 2010. The victory was McLaren's first since the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix, and saw Daniel stand atop one of the sport's signature podiums that overlooks the Monza start-finish straight, his first visit to one of F1's most famous rostrums.

"I swear, when I had the lead, nothing was going to take it away from me … I was convinced nothing was going to take it away from me," he says.

"It's a podium I've envied for many years, and I know we don't have full crowds yet but it was still pretty special to be up there.

"To be the guy to get the first win for the team in nine years – that's kinda crazy."

Daniel bagged an extra point by setting the fastest lap of the race on his final lap, leaving Monza with 27 points for the win, his fastest lap and the point from finishing third in the sprint race. The 45 points for the team saw McLaren reclaim third in the constructors' championship from Ferrari.

The next race comes in Russia in two weeks' time, a welcome break after three Grands Prix in as many weekends, and time for some (well, a lot of) celebrating before heading to Sochi.

"It's been, at times, the most challenging year for me," he says.

"I've not shied away from that, if anything I've enjoyed the adversity and the feeling I've had internally because it's kind of made me understand who I am a bit more as a person and as a competitor. I think I embraced it, but for sure there's definitely been some low points.

"But now's not the time for that. All I'll say is that it's a good thing we've got a week off!"