Daniel Ricciardo feels Red Bull's RB13 Formula 1 car "could be a lot better" after struggling ✃to match the pace of the front-runners in qualifying for the United States Grand Prix on Saturday, taking fourth place on the♍ grid.

Red Bull arrived in Austin hopeful of continuing its recent good form after back-to-back double podiums, but Ricciardo was unable to get close to pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton or Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel in qualifying, finishing almost half a 🍸second back from the fastest time.

"The whole weekend we were struggling quite a bit just to try and g🐈et a setup we were happy with," Ri﷽cciardo explained after the session.

"The wind has been really﷽ strong and that has been one of the factors. The track is a little bit bumpier than last year, and I just felt like the ride and a fewജ things on the car we could have done better.

"We finally🌺 figured a bit more of it out in qualifying. That last run was good, but we are still not quite there. To be around four-tenths off pole with Lewis is not too bad. We made the steps needed and a couple tenths off Vettel wasn’t too bad."

Ricciardo made no secret of his struggles✤ with the RB13 car's setup despite most in the paddock praising Red Bull for its display so far this weekeꦇnd.

"Everyone seems to think [we were on the pace] but I ⭕thought the ca😼r was terrible. I thought we were slow and everyone else seems to think we were not that slow," Ricciardo said.

"For the car I know it c﷽ould be a lot better. I have not really felt like we h🍒ave had great balance all weekend. For sure some of that is by the wind.

"Up unti🉐l that last run in Q3 I was like the car is okay but we should be better. So we finally found a bit of something ꧂there at the end."