Dallara just as good as McLaren and Renault - Magnussen

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Haas' new recruit Kevin Magnussen contends that the team's VF17 chassis designed by Dallara is just as good as the McLaren and Renault cars he drove in the recent past.

The Dane said he has been impressed by the efficiency of the Haas VF17 during pre-seaosn testing in Barcelona, commending Dallara which supplies its expertise to the US outfit.

"Dallara is doing a very good job," Magnussen said.

"I'm really, really impressed with them as well. I hear they've stepped up their game."

The Italian manufacturer was criticised last season for the hih number of mechanical failures suffured by the team's first challenger, the VF16.

"I wasn't here last year, so I can't say really how they did then, but the job they've done this year with the quality of the components and the car and the chassis is very nice.

"It's completely up to any of my previous experiences. So, very happy."

Magnussen: no complaints about Haas' brake performance

Like his peers in the paddock, team boss Guenther Steiner won't commit to defining a pecking order before the season gets underway next weekend in Melbourne.

"It's so tight that until we go into qualifying, we will not know," he said.

"Three or four teams have very similar speed like ours, but as we all know [in testing], time of day when you run, the fuel load, the tyres - to come to conclusions would be completely wrong.

"We wait for that surprise."

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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.