Verstappen hoping to pressure Mercedes

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Max Verstappen will start alongside team mate Daniel Ricciardo following the Dutchman's P4 performance in qualifying this afternoon at Hockenheim.

Overall, Verstappen was satisfied with his performance given that this weekend is also his first experience driving an F1 car at the German track.

"I am in general very happy because I think it was a very good qualifying, and also for me the first time on this track with a F1 car, I think we did a good job," Verstappen said.

"It is just a shame in the last sector I ran over the sausage curb and lost a lot of time between the last two corners. But at the end we did a very good qualifying."

The Red Bull duo of Ricciardo and Verstappen ended the session about four tenths of a second behind their rivals from Mercedes, a gap which Verstappen viewed as smaller than initially anticipated.

"Definitely on this track where we did not expect to be that close, we were quite close. So we can definitely be pleased with this qualifying because we are in front of the Ferrari quite comfortably, and that is very important for us."

With his team mate praising the Red Bull RB12's handling on a full load of fuel, Verstappen believes tomorrow's race offers some good prospects, including putting pressure on the Silver Arrows.

"Hopefully we won't need to cover like we had to do in Hungary. Hopefully we can follow the Mercedes cars and try to push them.

"It all looked very promising; hopefully we can have the same balance in the car tomorrow. So we see. It will be an interesting race.

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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.