Ricciardo still confident of a Red Bull win

40

Daniel Ricciardo believes Red Bull Racing can still pull off a win in Sunday's Singapore GP after it was beaten to pole by Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel.

The Aussie admitted he was 'envious' of Vettel's performance which saw the German pip both Red Bull drivers for the top spot on the front row.

Vettel edged out Max Verstappen by 0.323s, with Ricciardo just behind in third place. But based on the Milton Keynes-based outfit's pace in free practice, the Honey Badger believes an outright win is still very much in the cards.

"I am still confident we will get victory," said Ricciardo.

"We have a good package. Seb turned it on in qualifying but we will be back tomorrow.

Vettel clinches crucial pole with blazing lap in Singapore

"Today I will accept a little bit of defeat but there is still a lot to play for. It is on cusp of one or two stops, so it could be exciting."

Ferrari and Vettel undoubtedly took advantage Saturday evening of the SF70H's ability to turn up the power when required, just like Mercedes.

Despite the red car's extra boost, Ricciardo still had hopes of emerging on top.

"I thought pole would be on but we couldn't quite run with him [Vettel] in this qualifying," Ricciardo said.

"It is a long lap, so you gain a bit here and lose a bit there, but three-to-four tenths was quite significant.

"Once qualifying starts we pretty much put it all in, so no secrets for Q3."

Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner also believes the team's prospects for tomorrow remain intact.

"The drivers extracted everything there was out of the car, and we just don't have that last little bit," said Horner.

"But the race pace that we showed yesterday puts us in good step for the race. Happy with a front row start and third as well.

"If we can get a good start, have a good race pace then hopefully we can give them a hard time tomorrow.

"We've got nothing to lose. Seb has got a championship to think about."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

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.