Ricciardo takes shock victory in wacky Baku

Daniel Ricciardo took a remarkable victory for Red Bull Racing in an action packed Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday.
Daniel Ricciardo wins in BakuDaniel Ricciardo wins in Baku
Daniel Ricciardo wins in Baku

All hope looked lost for the Australian when he was forced to pit early in the race after picking up debris in his brake ducts from an accident in front of him, dropping him down to 17th.

Then a mixture of safety car periods, accidents and a red flag saw Ricciardo pick up places and get into contention for strong points.

But a penalty for Sebastian Vettel for hitting Lewis Hamilton under the safety car, and a pit-stop for the Brit with a loose headrest gifted Ricciardo the lead, which he held on to in the remaining laps to take his fifth victory of his career and his first since Malaysia last year.

Daniel Ricciardo wins in BakuDaniel Ricciardo wins in Baku
Daniel Ricciardo wins in Baku

But it would be heartbreak for Max Verstappen yet again, who was well placed in the early running before yet another car failure forced him to retire for the fourth time in six races.

To make Ricciardo's recovery even sweeter, it came after a crash in qualifying on Saturday saw the Australian start 10th on the grid.

Speaking on the podium afterwards,Ricciardo said he never expected to be near the podium after his early pit-stop.

He said: "It was a crazy race. We knew the podium was a chance after the restart.

Daniel Ricciardo wins in BakuDaniel Ricciardo wins in Baku
Daniel Ricciardo wins in Baku

"After a few laps we had some debris in the brakes and dropped back to 17th. After that, I'd put all my money on (the win) being unlikely!

"But after the safety cars and the chaos, we came back and won it!

"Yesterday I was disappointed with the mistake, but I knew today would be a different outcome. A big thanks to the team - it was nice to get one car home and on the top step."