McLaren’s inquest into how they let victory at the Russian Grand Prix slide away in the Sochi rain may still be in full gear, but there’s no debate in the team at the moment about the excellence of the resurgent Daniel Ricciardo.

While all the focus in Sunday’s race was centred on the fateful call – or lack of one – that saw McLaren’s race leader Lando Norris stay out on slick tyres as the rain began to pour and eventually tiptoe to seventh, Ricciardo drove another mature race following his Italian GP win at Monza to end up fourth in the deluge.

Amid the drama surrounding Norris – and teammate Ricciardo was one of those who felt enormous sympathy for the young Briton, who’d opted to stay out on the track only for the weather to cruelly deny him – team bosses recognised the Australian himself had been a model of class.