Ricciardo: 'More to come' after good day of running

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Daniel Ricciardo clocked in third fastest in Friday's FP2, the Renault driver delighted with his opening day of running at Silverstone, insisting there is "more to come" from his R.S.20.

Ricciardo was a lowly P17 in the morning session as Renault focused on various aerodynamic assessments and improving its understanding of the soft tyre.

But the Aussie upped the pace in FP2, putting a fast time on the board early in the session that Ricciardo third fastest in the pecking order, 0.815s adrift from pace setter Lewis Hamilton.

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"In the morning we did quite a bit of data gathering so we knew it wasn’t going to be totally representative," Ricciardo said.

"For the afternoon, we had a bit of a warm-up, made a change to the car, which worked, and it felt great.

"We had a good run on the Hard and then on the Soft as well. On that Soft run, we still missed out a bit in some areas, so there’s definitely more there.

"Our long runs also looked decent, so that’s a good base for Sunday. I think the wind direction is changing tomorrow, so we’ll see what happens there. Overall, it’s been a good day for us."

Renault chief race engineer Ciaron Pilbeam alluded to tyre management as a potential area where Renault could perhaps gain an edge on its midfield rivals.

"We’re pretty happy with our work today," said Pilbeam.

"Everybody ran the same tyres in the morning session, but we have done something different with our tyres compared to most others in the afternoon, and it will be interesting to see how the consequences of that shake out through the rest of the weekend.

"As normal for a Friday, we have some work to do to find a little bit extra for tomorrow.

"Daniel’s Soft tyre run in the afternoon was quite quick, but it’s only Friday, so we’re not getting too excited!"

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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.