'Super happy' Ricciardo wins 'fight' for best finish

Daniel Ricciardo has enjoyed his champion decorativeness since joining McLaren astatine the British Grand Prix.

The Aussie Formula One operator finished 5th aft starting from sixth connected the grid. His McLaren teammate Lando Norris conscionable missed retired connected a podium successful his home Grand Prix, finishing fourth.

"Happy with my archetypal apical 5 of the year," Ricciardo said aft the race. "Took a while, amended precocious than never.

"When I saw Carlos [Sainz] coming successful that 2nd stint helium caught maine truthful fast.

"I was evidently acceptable for the combat and the defence but the gait helium caught maine I thought possibly — if I was a betting antheral oregon if I was watching from the outside, I conjecture helium was the betting favourite (to overtake).

"But I surely backed myself and I wasn't going to spell retired without a fight."

Ricciardo had 2 pit stops with a fastest thigh 1m31.284s connected thigh 51.

"From a squad constituent of view, it was a bully day, with some cars successful the apical five," Ricciardo said.

"It's the archetypal clip this twelvemonth that I've had a apical five, truthful I'll instrumentality immoderate positives from that – decidedly a bully day.

"I did conflict with outright pace. There were parts of the contention wherever I felt I couldn't bash that overmuch more, truthful I've inactive got areas to enactment connected with myself, and getting the car much to my liking, but nevertheless it was bully to clasp disconnected Carlos [Sainz].

"He was a batch quicker! He caught maine highly rapidly and I knew that if I was mistake-free, I'd person half-a-chance. From that constituent of view, I'm ace blessed to extremity up fifth.

"Finally, it was large to spot truthful galore fans backmost successful the stands present today. As a driver, it truly means a batch to perceive them cheering you on. There's been plentifulness of McLaren caps successful the grandstands too, truthful that's awesome to see. I'm decidedly feeling the love."

Ricciardo said his conflict with Sainz brought the champion retired of him.

"I deliberation really pushing to support allowed maine to enactment connected the bounds a spot much and get a spot much comfy with the car connected the edge," the West Australian said.

"I learned a spot much from that really truthful we'll support going.

"I decidedly request to person a fewer (good results) successful a row. I request to person that consistency present to benignant of person a spot much religion successful saying that.

"I privation to accidental that and I bash consciousness amended but there's inactive surely immoderate clip connected the array that I request to find and get comfy with the car."

Norris had a costly instrumentality seed contented successful 1 of his 2 pit stops which mightiness person been the difference.

"A spot of a frustrating race, but besides a batch of positives and successful the extremity I'm blessed with the result," Norris said.

"I would've loved to person a accidental to combat for P3 – the pit-stop meant we weren't capable to, but I don't truly deliberation it would've changed the extremity result. A bully occupation by the full squad and acknowledgment to them for giving maine a large car this weekend. Fourth and 5th for america is simply a large effect and present for 1 much contention earlier the summertime break. We'll support it up and effort to bash amended adjacent time."

Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo astatine the British Grand Prix (Getty)

McLaren squad main Andreas Seidl was upbeat astir the show of some drivers.

"We improved league by league and permission the circuit having had a precise bully day," helium said.

"We person to accidental atrocious to Lando for the contented with a instrumentality seed astatine his pit-stop that took distant his accidental of warring for a podium. He drove highly good for P4, arsenic did Daniel, who took a bully measurement guardant for P5, and withstood relentless unit from Carlos for much than fractional the race.

"There's a batch to larn from this play – we'll spell distant and analyse it thoroughly to spot however we tin amended the adjacent clip we effort sprint quali. But first, a play off, immoderate much-needed remainder for the squad and past connected to Hungary."

Lewis Hamilton roared backmost from a first-lap incidental that sent title person Max Verstappen to the infirmary and overcame a 10-second punishment to triumph the British Grand Prix and reignite his rubric defence.

The seven-time champion won astatine his location way to drawback a tally of 5 races without a triumph and slash the spread to Verstappen astatine the apical of the drivers' title from 33 points to eight.

- with AP

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