Daniel Ricciardo "really happy" with fourth-place finish in Mugello

Daniel Ricciardo has celebrated his fourth-place finish in the action-packed Formula 1 Tuscan Grand Prix.

Daniel Ricciardo looked set for his first podium finish of the season at the Tuscan Grand Prix. (Image: Supplied)

“I’m really happy with today’s race and we’re so close to the podium again,” he said.

“It was a long day, a long race with the stoppages and incidents, but the main thing is that all the drivers are okay.”

The Australian had a promising position on track during the interrupted race, but was ultimately unable to convert it to a podium finish.

“It looked like we were on for third towards the end of the race, so it’s a shame to come so close. We can’t get any closer than that and we’ll keep pushing.”

Daniel Ricciardo prepares for the Tuscan Grand Prix at Mugello. (Image: Supplied)

“Our starts were good, we got Valtteri [Bottas], but he and Alex [Albon] were just too quick to hold on. It hurts not to be on the podium after that, but fourth is still a big result today.”

Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul said “after a rollercoaster of emotions since Friday, it’s good to be disappointed with fourth!”

“We have believed in that podium for a while and the team probably deserved it, but Alex Albon had better pace at the last restart with the Red Bull.”

Abiteboul should be careful with what he wishes for - having promised Ricciardo that he will allow the Australian to design a tattoo for him should he finish on the podium for Renault.

“It was a very eventful race, but I believe we did all the right things. Daniel drove a great race to finish where he did. The only regret is that we had only one car in this brilliant race as Esteban had to retire due to a brake overheating problem; the root cause of which will have to be investigated.”

Daniel Ricciardo in the pit lane during a Red Flag period in the Tuscan Grand Prix. (Image: Supplied)

“The main takeaway from this weekend is that we should never take anything for granted. We came here expecting a very difficult weekend with track characteristics that usually do not suit our car, but we still managed to make it work. It’s another indication that we can extract more while the factories develop future improvements."

“It’s also been a fantastic first event at Mugello, a great track for the drivers and their machines!”