Daniel produced a comeback for the ages in the Singapore Grand Prix, putting on his strongest performance of the season to charge from 16th to fifth for his best result in 2022.

Starting 16th, Daniel got a superb jump off the line, launching past three drivers and into 13th by the end of Turn 1. Ending a run of four point-less races, he said he felt he was owed some luck.

"I certainly feel good, it has been a long time," he told F1TV with a beaming smile. "We know the year it has been, and I feel like I was certainly due some good fortune. It was 50/50 today, I think we certainly had some (good fortune), there is no denying that, but I think we made our own luck, in terms of staying out on the Inter and being patient.

"As I said, I am honest that we have had some luck today, but I think that some of it was on merit. We made a good start, put ourselves in the right position, and sometimes you have just got to be there when the luck arrives. If you're in a position to grab it, then good for you."

Daniel had chiselled his way into the points by Lap 21, moving up to 10th as Fernando Alonso – who had been chasing Lando - retired from fifth. He then gained a further position as Lewis Hamilton – running fourth - hit the wall and was forced to go into the pits for a new front wing.

A rain-enforced delay had seen the race start more than an hour late, with all 20 cars lining up on a damp track wearing Inters. As the track began to dry, several of those running ahead of Daniel opted to pit at the first opportunity, but the team resisted the temptation to change and remained out, which promoted Daniel to sixth.

A Safety Car was required shortly after, gifting us a free pit-stop and allowing the team to switch Daniel's Inters for Softs. Retaining sixth upon his return to the track, Daniel gained a further spot when Max Verstappen attempted a bold move on Lando, which saw the Red Bull driver lock up, run wide and drop down to eighth.

Explaining the pit-stop call, Daniel said: "We were on the tail end of the points, so we were in a position where we could have been a bit desperate and try to fit a slick tyre, but I honestly wasn't convinced that it was the right call at the time.

"As tempting as it sounded, it wasn't the right call, so we bided our time and were able to gain on the others during that phase. Then there was a Safety Car, and we made a very big gain there, so that was a good situation for us. We've gotten back in the points, and it's been a very good day for the team, so we leave happy."

Crossing the line fifth with 11 places gained, Daniel scored his best result of the season so far and his first top-five finish since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Sitting 11th in the drivers' standings on 29 points, Daniel's result helps us up to fourth in the Constructors' Championship, four points ahead of Alpine.

He concluded: "We needed this, and as much as I am looking forward to Japan, I kind of just want to enjoy this one. When I say enjoy, I am not going to do much, I am not going to go out or party, I am pretty tired – I just enjoy the moment and be happy that the team is in good spirits."

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