Ricciardo 'happier' after enduring 'good problems' in Spanish GP

©McLaren

For Daniel Ricciardo, there are problems and "good problems', and the McLaren driver faced the latter in Sunday's Spanish GP which he finished P6, his best result to date with his new team.

A blistering fast start from seventh on the grid saw the Aussie leapfrog Alpine's Esteban Ocon and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz to clock in fifth at the end of the first lap where he remained for most of the afternoon until he succumbed to the pressure of Red Bull's Sergio Perez during the final tier of the race.

But the McLaren driver said that he was more than happy to deal with the pressure exerted by a faster rival – Perez – and then by Sainz.

"I had some good problems in terms of the start was good, and that got me in front of a couple of faster cars and therefore that meant I then had to defend pretty much the whole race," Ricciardo explained.

"With Checo I was doing as much as I could for as long as I could, and he got me and then I had Carlos for the last kind of quarter of the race or so.

"We didn’t have the pace today but it was nice to at least hold off a faster car and just put a better weekend together.

"So personally, I’m happier, but we still have obviously something to find in the car and in myself but it was a smoother weekend and definitely the best one of the year so far.

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Ricciardo's good result coupled with teammate Lando Norris' run to P8 delivered a bag of points that has kept McLaren at the top of F1's midfield and third overall in the Constructors' championship.

F1 now moves on to Monaco, the scene of Ricciardo's last win in the sport, achieved in 2018 with Red Bull, and a venue he is impatient to revisit.

"Firstly I’m excited to go there. It's been two years," he said.

"It’s a track that you don’t get the privilege of driving, first of all, and to miss it for a year, I just can't wait to go there.

"And then we’ll figure it out after that, and it will just be a joy and a pleasure to turn a wheel around there again."

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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.