'Just couldn't make it work today,' says Ricciardo

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Daniel Ricciardo's hopes of perhaps giving Mercedes a run for its money in the final round of the season did not pan out, with the Aussie finishing fifth in Abu Dhabi.

While Red Bull's strategy of starting its drivers on Pirelli's SuperSoft compound instead of the more widely used Ultra-Soft wasn't a bad choice, Ricciardo's early change to Soft tyres on lap 10 negated the advantage as Max Verstappen's prolonged first stint demonstrated.

Following his second stop, Ricciardo managed to undercut Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari for fifth but that was as good as it was going to get for the Red Bull driver.

"We lost out a little bit at the start but we could hold our ground in the beginning on the SuperSoft," said Ricciardo.

"In hindsight we should have gone longer on it, and one-stopped the race. Obviously it worked a lot better for Max.

"If we were in front of the Ferrari it made sense to try and hold position in front of them, but in the end we were close to getting an overcut on them but it didn't work out and we just struggled a lot behind them, killing the tyres a bit . I tried to pass a few times but couldn't make it work."

Overall, Ricciardo's 2016 performance brings him third place in the drivers' championship, a result satisfies the smiling Australian given his prospects at the beginning of the season.

"Looking at the season overall, I'm super happy and very pleased with the year. It's definitely been more highs and lows this year, a lot of podiums, good chunk of points.

"Not as many wins as in 2014 but definitely as many satisfying races. I got amongst it when I could, but I thought it was a good 2016, I'm very very happy."

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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.