Ricciardo reveals minor surgery between China and Baku

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Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo underwent minor surgery after the Chinese Grand Prix, with a procedure involving an infected wound to his lip.

After his Shanghai triumph, the Aussie did some simulator work at his team's base in Milton Keynes before undergoing the operation in London.

"It took me five days to get back to Monaco after winning in Shanghai, and it seriously felt like I was on the go for all five," Ricciardo revealed on the Red Bull website.

"I wish I had some decent stories of crazy three-day parties and that sort of thing to share with you, but it was about as uneventful as celebrations get.

"I was on multiple flights connecting the night after the race, went straight into the Red Bull Racing factory at Milton Keynes, had time in the simulator, and then I had to get some minor surgery.

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"I had this weird thing with my lip happen in Bahrain the weekend before where I bit it, and it must have got infected or something because I kept biting it over and over.

"So I had to get that taken out and stitched back up in London, so that – and a fair bit of talking about China – was basically the week after Shanghai.

"I got back to Monaco last Friday, where I could finally put my feet up."

Looking back one last time at his Chinese win, Ricciardo admitted the last few laps of the race were gripping, from the outside but also from the inside of the cockpit as he feared his Renault engine would let him go.

"I'd been pretty quiet on the radio until that time as I was passing people, so I asked [race engineer] Simon [Rennie] how far we had to go once I'd taken the lead, and couldn't believe it was still 11 laps or so," he added.

"What was I supposed to do with 11 laps? I pushed initially to create a gap, but then started managing it, and that's when your mind can start to wander.

"You have all this adrenaline after a carrot like a race win gets dangled in front of you, and then it's like 'what now?'

"Driving on the limit is easier. You're much more present. The day before, we'd had the turbo failure, so every time I started on that long back straight in China on those last 11 laps I was thinking 'I hope I don't hear any funny noises like yesterday …'.

"When you start to cruise and manage a gap, you think about that sort of thing."

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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.