Two thousand and forty four days. That’s how long it has been since Kimi Raikkonen last won a Grand Prix. Many questioned whether he could ever reach the top step of the podium again, but the Finn reckons his stunning drive to victory in Austin has answered those critics…

Raikkonen has come close to victory several times since re-joining Ferrari in 2014, but it was looking increasingly likely he would end his second stint with the team in red without another triumph.

But in the United States, the stars aligned and the Finn won his 21st career victory, and first since the 2013 Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne’s Albert Park, with a stunning drive.

The key was the start, the Finn using his softer tyres to leap ahead of championship leader Lewis Hamilton. When the Mercedes driver pressured him, having pitted for fresher tyres, Raikkonen defended bravely, and then used his experience to manage the tyres and absorb more pressure in the closing stages.

Despite the impressive feat, Raikkonen – who took a big swig of champagne before spraying it on the podium - typically downplayed the result. “It’s not a big deal for me, it’s a much bigger deal for a lot of the people,” he said. “If it comes, it comes; if it doesn’t, it really doesn’t change my life one bit.

“I’m happy we are here and that we win but I think the biggest difference is the way people look at you. If you look at people in a different way if they win or not, it doesn’t make a lot of difference in my mind. But obviously I’m happy, just proving some people wrong is enough fun for me.”

Raikkonen breaks Michael Schumacher’s record for the longest gap between a first and last career win – Sunday is 15 years and 212 days since his first triumph in the 2003 Malaysian Grand Prix for McLaren.