Ricciardo's road to a sensational Shanghai surprise

Ricciardo's memorable Shanghai story began a day earlier when his Renault engine ignited in FP3, whereupon the Red Bull crew got to work and a three-hour job was completed in half the time as they managed to get their driver out in the final minutes of Q1.

By his own admission, Ricciardo thought he would be starting from the back of the grid as he watched his mechanics toil away and bolt on another power unit.

In the early part of the race, he held station, in sixth, until lap 28 when Kimi Raikkonen pitted in the Ferrari which promoted the Australian to fifth.

Then on lap 31, as the safety car was deployed Red Bull called in their drivers for fresh soft tyres, Max Verstappen was serviced first and moments later Ricciardo got new rubber too and emerged in sixth again.

It was game on for Red Bull as they commenced a charge that in the end would be bittersweet. If Verstappen was a bull in a china shop, Ricciardo was a surgeon with his clinical moves.

At this point, a mundane race was transformed into a cracker as the Australian delivered one of the most impressive performances of his career. Attacking the big guns of the sport and dispatching with clinical moves that will be remembered for a very long time.

This is how Ricciardo's race panned out after the safety car period:

Lap 35: Safety car in and the track goes green. Red Bull have both their drivers on soft tyres, while others on the leading pack were on mediums.

Lap 37: On the run down to the hairpin Ricciardo gets beside Raikkonen and overtakes the Ferrari with a no-fuss move into the hairpin.

Lap 39: Verstappen clatters into Hamilton and goes off the road. Ricciardo drives by his hapless teammate and is gifted fourth place. Car number 3 starts his pursuit of Hamilton.

Lap 40: From 50 metres back Ricciardo ambushes Hamilton into the hairpin to snatch third place. Hone-Badger-Time!

Lap 42: Ricciardo makes it look easy as he breezes past Vettel to claim second place with race leader Bottas in his sights.

Lap 45: Ricciardo bullets into the narrowest of gaps and squeezes past Bottas into the hairpin. New leader!

Lap 55: Clearly enjoying himself Ricciardo pops the fastest lap no doubt with a huge grin under the helmet.

Lap 56: Ricciardo crosses the line to take victory by 8.8 seconds and one for the ages.

A final word for the man of the moment: “I don’t know what it is, I don’t seem to win boring races, they’re all pretty fun. That was unexpected. 24 hours ago and I thought we’d maybe be starting at the back of the grid. Thanks to the boys yesterday. I thanked them after qualifying but today is the real reward for that work.”