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Ricciardo: 'We were quick enough to win'

HUNGARORING, Hungary - Former Formula 1 champion team Red Bull was back on the podium for the first time in 2015 here on Sunday (July 26) but Daniel Ricciardo felt he could have won.

The Australian was third, team mate Daniil Kvyat second - to become the most successful Russian driver with only that country's second podium finish - but victory was definitely on the cards.

Ricciardo won at the Hungaroring the previous year and might have repeated that victory had he not collided with Nico Rosberg's Mercedes in the closing laps as they battled for second place.

DOUBLE PODIUM

The impact punctured one of Rosberg's rear tyres and forced Ricciardo to pit for a new front wing, allowing Kvyat to get ahead of him.

Ricciardo said: "I knew we were quick enough to win."

The Australian had been on soft tyres while those ahead of him were on the slower hard compound.

READ: As it happened 2015 Hungarian GP

He said: "I saw Seb wasn't getting away so I thought if I could get Nico I could probably get Seb, so the laps were counting down, I saw a gap and I went for it."

"At that stage the move was clean and then it just looked like Nico cut back on the exit and came across and just... I guess I didn't have enough room and we touched. It's disappointing, we both obviously ruined our chances of a win."

The double podium was still a boost for Red Bull, who have been struggling for performance all season, and their first since Singapore in 2014.

INDIFFERENT RELATIONSHIP

The team hase blamed engine partner Renault for much of its woes since its run of four Constructors' and Drivers' titles ended in 2015 when the new V6 turbo hybrid engines were introduced.

The Australian said: "It's a lot of mixed emotions about many things right now. First, I'm still grateful to be on the podium. It's been, I guess, a long year, a tough one. All of a sudden, to find two of our cars on the podium, it's pretty surreal."

Ricciardo recognised his race could have been over on the first lap when he made contact with Valtteri Bottas's Williams going into the first curve. He thought that again when he had a later collision with 2014 champion Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes, a collision forr which the Briton was blamed and which cost him a drive-through penalty.

Ricciardo said: "I'm very grateful to be on the podium, it feels like a victory."

Stay with Wheels24 for the 2015 Formula 1 season.

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