IT wasn’t a win, but Daniel Ricciardo hailed his storming comeback in the Chinese Grand Prix as one of the best races of his life.

Ricciardo charged into the lead off the start, beating Nico Rosberg into Turn 1 to lead the opening laps.

But the third lap would be then end of his challenge for victory.

REPORT: Rosberg wins chaotic Chinese Grand Prix

His Red Bull’s left-rear tyre punctured halfway down the Shanghai circuit’s long main straight, sending him to the tail of the field.

Ricciardo believes the deflation was triggered by a piece of debris left from one of the many first-lap incidents behind him.

“Coming around on the second lap there was a little bit of debris here and there, but there didn’t seem like one big bit which I caught, so it was still unexpected,” he told Sky Sports.

“Before the back straight I could feel the rear start to slide ... then as soon as I got on the straight I could feel the car start to wobble, I looked in the mirror and the tyre went.”

Ricciardo led the opening laps, beating Rosberg off the start to the first corner. Source: Getty Images

A subsequent Safety Car to clean up the debris left by his shredding tyre was a double-blow to Ricciardo, leaving him 17th on the restart.

“(It) felt like being punched in the stomach by a heavyweight,” he said.

An aggressive tyre strategy from Red Bull, plus a raft of aggressive honey badger-inspired passes, saw Ricciardo carve through the field.

His best efforts came late in the race, fighting his way past Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa on the same lap to secure fourth place.

“In the end, the second part of the race ... I did probably one of the best races of my life,” he said.

The result sees Ricciardo maintain third place in the world championship, moving him to within three points of second-placed Hamilton in the standings.

The next race is the Russian Grand Prix on May 1.