Daniel Ricciardo was satisfied to be able to return to the podium after combating issues with his power unit throughout the race.
Ricciardo spent the race battling for the last podium spot with Fernando Alonso, who jumped Ricciardo at the race start. The safety car brought Ricciardo back in front of the Ferrari driver and a challenge on team-mate Sebastian Vettel for 2nd place was stymied by power problems.
The Australian however looked to the positives and felt that getting across the line in the position he was in was enough of a plus.
“[I’m] pretty happy to get it home in the end, a few times in the race she was sounding a little sick,” Ricciardo told Sky post-race.
“[I] got close to Sebastian, would have loved to have passed [him] but in the end it got home.”
The three-time race winner this year explained the race start from his perspective, being caught unawares by Vettel while having his focus firmly on the Ferrari’s attack on his outside.
“I couldn’t see Sebastian until the braking I assumed he was on the inside, Fernando went off around the outside,” he explained.
“I couldn’t cover Sebastian so not the perfect start. First stint wasn’t great, but it came alive towards the end.
“It’s a tough one as he [Alonso] went a fair way off, if he didn’t brake that late would he have been behind me. The pros of these run-offs are they’re safer, they’re great but if it was Monaco he’d have been in the wall.”
