Ricciardo looks for answers to last sector speed deficit

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Daniel Ricciardo will line up 6th on tomorrow's Spanish GP grid, right alongside team mate Max Verstappen whom he trailed in qualifying by about half a second.

High expectations were set by Red Bull Racing's announced upgrade package for its RB13 before the Barcelona weekend.

Ricciardo played down beforehand the impact of the evolution however, so the Honey Badger wasn't exactly surprised to find himself still trailing the red and silver cars ahead.

"We didn't expect to come here and get pole, as much as we hoped" said the Aussie.

"For me, I think I'm still a second off from pole from what I saw. Max is closer, but we still have to find a bit. I was losing out in the last sector today so I've got to understand why we lost so much time there.

"I think we were pretty competitive in the first and second (sectors), but in the last we're losing out. Relative, the pace is still unchanged with the leaders. Mercedes and Ferrari are still a step or two ahead.

"We've got to keep working on what we've got, and I'll try to understand the last sector for me today.

Verstappen hails 'massive improvement' for Red Bull

Ricciardo will have a look at the data but he admitted that in the car, the sector was indeed a handful.

"When you're obviously lacking speed in some areas you're never that happy with the car.

"It didn't seem like the tyres were going off, it just seemed like in the low speed corners we struggled a bit, and also this morning."

"It wasn't there yesterday, and we made some changes, so we'll try and understand."

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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.