Ricciardo takes his first podium

DANIEL Ricciardo has claimed his first podium finish in Formula One as the Mercedes team dominated the Spanish Grand Prix.

Daniel Ricciardo of Australia in Spain yesterday.

AUSTRALIAN driver Daniel Ricciardo claimed his first podium finish in Formula One last night as the Mercedes team dominated the Spanish Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton took over the championship lead by taking a dramatic heart-stopping victory, his fourth straight race ahead of Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg.

Ricciardo was third in his Red Bull, followed by his four-time world champion teammate Sebastian Vettel, who started from 15th on the grid.

Ricciardo finished the season-opening Australian GP in third place but had the result taken away after a technical infringement by his Red Bull team.

Hamilton's 26th career win gave him 100 points after five races, three more than Rosberg, who closed to within one second of his teammate late in the race but again couldn't find his way past his main rival.

Hamilton hasn't led the championship since June 2012 when he won the Canadian GP with McLaren.

The win was 29-year-old Hamilton’s fourth win this year, his first in Spain and the 26th of his career.

The Mercedes one-two finish stamped the team’s complete supremacy on the constructors’ championship which they now lead by more than 100 points.

“I was not fast enough today,” admitted Hamilton. “Fortunately I was able to keep Nico behind.

“My first win here in Spain means everything to me,” added the 2008 world champion.

“A big thank you for my team, they have done an incredible job this year.”

Finn Valtteri Bottas finished fifth for the resurgent Williams team ahead of local hero and two-time champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso and his Ferrari teammate, 2007 champion Finn Kimi Raikkonen.