Despite being happy with his race performance, Hamilton acknowledged that he is eagerly anticipating Mercedes' much-anticipated upgrade package.
It won't be long before Ricciardo gets back behind the wheel after numerous simulator sessions and trackside support for regular drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
While Verstappen steadily advanced from ninth to the front on hard tyres, the Mexican led Fernando Alonso off the starting line on medium tyres.
Alonso finished 26 seconds off the pace in P3, but seven seconds ahead of fourth-place finisher George Russell.
Verstappen made a mistake on his first Q3 run in qualifying and was unable to finish a second attempt when Ferrari's Charles Leclerc crashed out, bringing out the red flag.
Verstappen, on the other hand, skillfully extended his initial stint on hards to rise from P9 to P1 through a series of fine moves.
Formula One will return to the United States for the first time in 2023 with the second iteration of the Miami Grand Prix. After the Azerbaijan GP, drivers will have the opportunit...
Sergio Perez was the sprint and main race winner in Baku which made him a highly profitable pick.
Red Bull Racing might be far ahead of everyone else but there is a potentially intense title battle that could play out between teammates Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
It was widely believed that Leclerc might be tempted by a move to the Silver Arrows in the future, particularly if Hamilton were to leave.