Ricciardo laments strange chain of events

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Daniel Ricciardo ended his weekend in Bahrain with fifth place finish following a consistent drive which had him hoping for a possible race win early on.

Ricciardo settled into fifth behind the leading Bottas-Vettel-Hamilton freight train, and just behind team mate Max Verstappen.

But a pit stop under the Safety Car, which saw the Aussie take on a set of Soft compound, produced a more laborious pace as the RB13 struggled to heat up its new tyres.

Splitting Mercedes at the start crucial to race win, says Vettel

Ricciardo suddenly fell to the wayside, tumbling from third to sixth in just a few corners.

"I genuinely thought we had a chance to win," lamented Ricciardo.

"That first stint was looking really competitive. I could see that Valtteri was struggling, I believe he had some issues with the tyres or whatever.

"I was at the end of that train, I could see everyone else, they were sliding around. I was looking after my tyres, so we were in a really good position.

"Then the Safety Car came out, we put the Softs on and that tyre was just not happening for us today.

"On the restart, out of the last corner, it felt like the tyre just wasn't switched on. Basically the whole first I was sliding, so that's why I went back.

"Beyond that the tyre never really came good, I was on Massa's pace and we know we're quicker than that, so it was a strange chain of events from the beginning of the race."

GALLERY: All the action from the Bahrain Grand Prix

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.