Verstappen pleased with qualifying, more progress in sight

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For his first race weekend with Red Bull Racing, Max Verstappen proved that he has now grown into a mighty taurus.

The sensational 18-year-old achieved his personal best with P4 in qualifying in Barcelona, equaling the best performance ever accomplished by a Dutch driver in Grand Prix racing. A feat previously managed by countryman Jan Lammers in 1980.

In a thrilling Q3 segment, the Red Bull drivers locked horns to close out the second row of the grid behind the dominant Mercedes duo, with Ricciardo just edging out his new team mate.

But up to that point, Verstappen actually had the upper hand over Ricciardo in the first and second part of qualifying.

"I was very pleased with my first qualifying," said Verstappen.

"I was enjoying it a lot. I think we both pushed each other and that is very good for the team.

"To be honest I never thought about beating Daniel because for me qualifying was just about enjoying it and getting a feeling of the car. For me it worked fine.

" I was just happy with the progress I was making every time. I was feeling much better in the car every lap. For more that is the most positive thing."

Naturally, Verstappen was asked to offer a comparison between his former Ferrari-powered Toro Rosso mount and his current Red Bull RB12 ride.

"For sure the Red Bull has more grip. You can see clearly in the lap times. It was just a very positive feeling. I am still getting used to finding the limits more and more, but it was very positive."

For tomorrow, Verstappen will first have to contend with the new procedures imposed upon him, while keeping his ambitions in check.

"It will be another learning curve, but you have to go through that, and that is just by doing the race. We will see tomorrow. I think it will be an interesting race. That is for sure.

"Tomorrow is all about a clean start and a clean first lap and from there on hopefully we have a good pace."

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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.