Daniel Ricciardo: We did a perfect job in Mexico, but it's a shame we didn’t get on the podium

Australian racing star Daniel Ricciardo scored his second fifth-place finish of the 2015 Formula One (F1) season at the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday. Following an action-packed race at Hermanos Rodriguez, the Perth native recently expressed his sentiments on losing a podium finish in Mexico’s first grand prix in 23 years.

Speaking via Red Bull’s official website, the 26-year-old said that the team did a perfect job when he and teammate Daniil Kvyat managed to score solid points in Mexico after they finished fourth and fifth. Ricciardo, who clashed with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel in the first corner, fought hard among the top six throughout the race. However, when the safety car was brought after Vettel spun at Turn Seven on Lap 52 when the majority of the race leaders pitted for new tyres, he said he just didn’t have enough pace. Ricciardo made no secret of his disappointment after losing a podium finish in the Mexican Grand Prix.

“It was a shame about not getting on the podium, I thought we had it and we deserved it today,” Ricciardo said. “And maybe without the safety car we would have, but that’s racing and we have to accept it.”

Ricciardo added that he was still “happy” with how the race went. According to the Red Bull driver, they certainly have the package to become successful again in the future as long as they get back on the right track. Ricciardo believes that teamwork makes the dream work.

Red Bull was a quadruple world champion. The Austrian-based F1 outfit won in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013.

2015 Mexican Grand Prix Race Results (Mercedes/Time) Top 10

Nico Rosberg (Mercedes/ 1:42:35.038 )

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes/ +1.954s)

Valterri Bottas (Williams/+14.592s)

Daniil Kvyat (Red Bull/+16.572s)

Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull/+19.682s)

Felipe Massa (Williams/+21.493s)

Nico Hulkenberg (Force India/+25.860s)

Sergio Perez (Force India/+34.343s)

Max Verstappen (Toro Rosso/+35.229s)

Romain Grosjean (Lotus/+37.934s)