The view from an Eagle's comfortable nest

Last weekend, Martin Brundle took Dan Gurney's glorious Eagle T1G up the hill at Goodwood, but before setting off the Sky F1 pundit snapped a shot of his view from the cockpit.

Working space in the Eagle - considered by many as the most beautiful F1 car ever built - was wide and void of any technological sophistication.

While comfortably installed, the driver still required a hefty dose of bravery and heroism to manhandle this mean machine around the likes of the treacherous Nurburgring or Spa tracks.

And Dan Gurney did just that in 1967 when he took the Eagle to new heights and won the Belgian GP, a triumph which marked the first and only time an American has ever won a Grand Prix behind the wheel of an American car.

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.