The Australian heads into the summer break third in the world drivers' championship with his 100th grand prix under his belt, having held his tongue and nerve when garage machinations and luck seemed to be conspiring against him.

"I think I'm always also looking at big picture and you know I think it is easy to do things that you regret, and especially in the heat of the moment," Ricciardo said this week after spending one more grinding day in the Milton Keynes simulator before starting his holiday and cracking a few cold ones with mates.

A team relies on its drivers to maintain focus and composure, while a driver relies on a team to provide a fast, reliable and safe car. So far this year, Red Bull and Ricciardo have both upheld their ends of the bargain.

Much has been made of Lewis Hamilton's four wins in July, but Ricciardo's last month was no less impressive, with a fifth, fourth, third and second culminating in him acknowledging the upward trajectory on the Hockenheim podium by quaffing champagne from his boot.

It's the sort of joyfulness that Ricciardo has become renowned for, but no less than the hard work that saw him still taking media calls while other drivers were already tweeting pictures of their exotic holiday destinations.

"Obviously I'm aware that I've got a pretty good reputation in the sport and as an individual," Ricciardo reflected when asked about the dark days of May and June when the bonds between team and driver could well have frayed.

"I'm more liked than not across the world and I dunno I think it can have a big effect if you, I dunno ... Like if I lost my shit, it would have a much bigger effect than if someone else lost it you know, someone who normally usually loses it ..."

Possibly he'd push a few tennis players off the front page then?

"Yeah," he laughs. "I've been in the sport a few years now and all going well I'll still be in the sport for many years to come and you do have to look long term and know that these things will pass. Yeah you don't want to create something for yourself and make the next 10 years more challenging for yourself because of something that you said or did.

"That's again where it comes back to having good people around you, my trainers for example, and it's not like being politically correct I think it's just being smart and understanding a situation and at the end of the day [other] people make mistakes as well. Sure if it kept happening ... [but] I'm all right, I'm switched on I think. I know what's going on.

Red Bull has been an interesting place to be this year, with Ricciardo starting the season with Russian teammate Daniil Kvyat, only for him to spectacularly implode at the Russian Grand Prix and ultimately be replaced by Dutch teenager Max Verstappen.

Ricciardo says the switch did not unsettle him as much as it may have appeared when Verstappen won the Spanish Grand Prix on debut.

"It didn't change too much from my side whilst it was all going on," Ricciardo says. "Christian [Horner] called me, he called me probably a couple of days before it all got announced and let me know. I didn't know much before but obviously I knew that Dani wasn't that comfortable. You know he'd just got the podium in China but from the start of the season he'd been struggling a little bit.

"I mean I thought maybe by this time they might maybe make the change if that continued, but you know we probably didn't expect it when it happened in Barcelona. It was a bit of a surprise and again for me there was a bit of media attention from me. There was a bit of media attention surrounding me on what my thoughts were on Max, but otherwise not much else changed. Same crew, same car for me, so business as usual."

And what of the spurned man? Racing with Red Bull's junior team Toro Rosso, Kvyat last week appeared distraught as he battled his car, his garage and his demons.

"It is tough, absolutely, especially at such a young age and I think that is always the risk at moving up so quickly," acknowledges Ricciardo. "But at the same time, from Dani's point of view, you can't turn the opportunity down because you're too young or whatever. Of course he was always going to take the opportunity, but it's tough, you know I think you need, obviously any top sport is ruthless and you obviously always need to make sure that you are delivering."

Ricciardo acknowledged that in the tough world of the paddock there's been little time to compare notes with his former teammate.

"I mean it is every driver for himself, but sure in his position at the moment if he called me or wanted to catch up for a coffee and just get a little bit of support from me or ask for a little bit of advice I mean yeah I'd try and help him out a bit. I think [with] Red Bull there is enough support in the system and they do as much as they come, but at the same time as well it is a business and they can't baby up forever and I think that is where you need good family, good friends to help you keep on track a lot of the time."

There's also no doubt that the arrival of Verstappen slowed Ricciardo's momentum, with strategy blunders, on-track tangles and the pitstop debacle at Monaco all shining a negative spotlight. But despite this, he feels that 2016 has not been as difficult as the Red Bull malaise of 2015.

"Probably last year was more challenging because I was expecting much more at the start of last year and it was a bit more of blow when we were struggling for top eight finishes," Ricciardo says.

"Where as this year I came in much more conservative in my mind and we have all sort of overachieved from what we thought we were doing. I guess to have three podiums and a few near wins – we didn't really expect – and to be third in the championship which we didn't really expect.

"You know that's been more fun, like seeing that and it's been easier ... I mean I'm always motivated, but it is more motivating when you can fight for a podium and it is like 'Aww we've got a chance at the podium today, how good is that?'. It is more fun, that's what I mean."

And at 27 and with 100 Grands Prix, how is Daniel Ricciardo the athlete holding up to the rigors of g-forces, endless travel and a punishing fitness regime?

"I'm sweet. I'm sweet," and you can almost see the smile down the phone line. "Definitely I'd say I'm pretty mature. I feel more mature now, but yeah the body is good I still feel good. I hope I'm good for another ten years. Shit. I hope ...

"I've got a good spring in my step, that's for sure."

RICCIARDO AT 100 RACES

Age: 27

First race: 2011 – British Grand Prix

Pole positions: 1 – Monaco 2016

Grand Prix wins: 3 – Canadian 2014, Hungary 2014, Belgian 2014

Podium finishes: 13 – the first in Spain in 2014, most recent Germany 2016

Races this year: 12 – finished 4, 4, 4, 11, 4, 2, 7, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2

Career F1 points: 493 – currently third, on 133 points