Ricciardo seeking early edge with supersoft choice

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Daniel Ricciardo will be starting his US GP tomorrow on Pirelli's supersoft tyre in a choice which will see the Aussie be pitted at the outset against his soft-shod top rivals, including his team mate.

Red Bull's split strategy came about as a result of each driver's preference, with Ricciardo obviously expressing a liking for the softest compound available and the edge it may provide him at the start.

"We talked about it before the session and Max was more keen to start on the Soft, and I was happy with the supersoft," explained Ricciardo.

"I was bit more comfortable on that tyre yesterday on the long runs, that was the reason for that. Hopefully it gives me a bit of a better start and I can really get in the mix with the Mercedes guys.

"Obviously they are going to be fighting each other but hopefully I can be another number to their equation."

"It's a good circuit around here where you can do a lot of overtaking, and there are a few corners where you can change the line and do a few little things. It's not just a one-line circuit, so I'm looking forward to tomorrow."

Given the pace of both Red Bull cars this morning when they topped FP3, one could have hoped for perhaps a tighter battle in qualifying but Ricciardo believes the end result pretty much reflects everybody's true level of performance.

"I think the day was pretty good, not really close to Mercedes but we expected them to be very hard to beat.

"We've got a good buffer over Ferrari and I think the car was working pretty well, I think we've got a good chance tomorrow so we'll see what we can do.

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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.