RICCIARDO: NO EXTRA TATTOO FOR CYRIL ABITEBOUL

Another podium after waiting so long for the first one just underlined the quality of the team and driver – because this was a weekend when the car wasn’t actually working all that well.

Daniel Ricciardo was suddenly able to finish on the podium due to the failure of Max Verstappen. For the second time in the last three races, the Australian finishes in third position.

Renault driver Daniel Ricciardo conceded he would not be able to coerce team principal Cyril Abiteboul into a second tattoo after securing third at the “bizarre” Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Renault had struggled through practice and Q1 at Imola before Ricciardo pulled out his “best lap of the year” to qualify fifth.

After making the most of Pierre Gasly being squeezed out of road by Lewis Hamilton into Tamburello to move into fourth, the Australian found himself stuck behind Kevin Magnussen after his pit-stop and lost a position to Sergio Perez.

However, when Perez pitted under safety car conditions – caused by Max Verstappen’s retirement – Ricciardo was promoted into third, a position he would not relinquish despite coming under a huge amount of pressure from Daniil Kvyat’s soft-tyred AlphaTauri.

Whilst Abiteboul wagered a tattoo with Ricciardo if his driver was able to finish on the podium for the French works team – which happened at the Eifel GP – Ricciardo revealed he had been told directly after the race that his team principal would not be getting inked for a second time.

“He actually just said ‘Congrats but I’m not getting a second tattoo,’ so maybe someone else in the team.” said Ricciardo.

“But today, I won’t forget the shoey!” Ricciardo stated after forgetting to perform his traditional celebration at the Nürburgring, and which he performed with race-winner Lewis Hamilton.

On the race itself, Ricciardo said: “It was a bizarre one. I got into fourth off the start and I felt that was obviously the best we could do with the three in front.

“But then Perez had really good pace, he passed us through the pit sequence and then I think he pitted for the softs at the end with the safety car, we obviously kept track position.

“I’m not sure what happened to Max but obviously that put us in the fight. I don’t know, Kvyat came out of nowhere the last few laps but that was fun.

“Two podiums in three races. It all just happened very quickly at the end there, that was good fun!”

RICCIARDO NO EXTRA TATTOO FOR CYRIL ABITEBOUL RICCIARDO NO EXTRA TATTOO FOR CYRIL ABITEBOUL

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