F1 | Ricciardo: “A frustrating race”

Team Renault failed to score points in the Spanish Grand Prix either with Daniel Ricciardo, twelfth after starting from 13th, or with Nico Hülkenberg. Having qualified sixteenth, Nico started the race directly from the pitlane due to a post-qualifying penalty and made the most of the opportunity by replacing new engine parts on his car. A good start allowed him to gain a good position in the midfield battle, but he also missed out on the top ten. points after the defunct Safety Car.

Nico Hülkenberg commented: “We knew it would be difficult to start from the pitlane today. It wasn't a great race because we didn't get any points, but it was nice to at least have a normal race and build confidence. Especially after a difficult weekend, this is positive. In the end I wasn't able to fight for the points, we had a 10 lap Soft racing against others who had put on new tires after the Safety Car. I felt good and comfortable out there, which is promising before Monaco."

Daniel Ricciardo, said: “It was a frustrating race for me this afternoon. In the first part, we had the pace on Sainz and at the end of that first stint I was able to catch him. We then pitted and put on the hard tires and he came back quite quickly. It was difficult to close the gap after that, we had a good pace in the final sector but not enough to close on the last corner. We were certainly faster than twelfth today and, in the end, it wasn't a perfect Sunday. The midfield teams are so close and you have to give your all to get a good result,” concluded the Australian