If he could do it all over again, Valtteri Bottas would revert back to Mercedes' previous aero package for qualifying in which the Finn found himself 0.68s off the pace from Lewis Hamilton.

In a bid to boost its performance, Mercedes ran its drivers with different settings on Saturday with Hamilton reverting back to the W08's previous aero configuration.

While Hamilton clinched pole by a small margin from Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, Bottas was left adrift from his team mate in Q3.

"It's easy to say afterwards, but if I could do the qualifying again for sure I'd go for the other package," Bottas told NBCSN.

"For sure, we need to review everything. We need to see what are the actual differences. Obviously the gap in Q3 was huge. It's difficult to say [for the race], we will see tomorrow.

"We will look into everything to fully understand what's going on with the car because it's so much work sometimes to get it working right, and sometimes we get it working and sometimes not. I didn't get it today."

Bottas was still hopeful of recovering some pace for tomorrow's race and not find himself in a position where he will need to fend off a charge from the back by Sebastian Vettel.

"Hopefully we have enough pace that we can focus ahead, and try to beat both of the Ferraris rather than just one," he said.

"We'll see how it goes."

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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.

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