Ricciardo: 'A good outing for the aero department'

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Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo finished the day third on the timesheet, but development is more important than outright speed at the end of a testing day.

The Aussie was satisfied with conclusion of his programme - especially on the aero dynamic front - despite suffering an engine failure which took deprived his schedule of mileage.

"It was a good outing for the aero department – we did a lot of data gathering in the first hour, which all went to plan, and that’s important for the guys, even though for a driver it’s not the most thrilling thing, as you’re just trundling around really!

"After that we did a few runs on the soft tyre and made a few mechanical changes, which were interesting, we then completed a couple of runs on the supersoft.

Bahrain test Day 1: Hamilton heads Giovinazzi

"I think we discovered a few things there. You do try some bigger set-up steps than you might do on a race weekend and it was interesting to see what the results of those changes were.

"We were planning a few long runs in the afternoon but obviously the power unit issue prevented that."

Tomorrow, Max Verstappen will take over the RB13 which will be fitted with a new Renault power unit for Wednesday's session.

GALLERY: All the action from the Day 1 in-season testing at Bahrain

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.