Steady Stroll doesn't put a foot wrong

On his F1 race weekend debut, Lance Stroll did not blot his copy, running consistently through both free practice sessions and his workload without putting a foot wrong.

The 18-year-old rookie drew a lot of attention when he took to track earlier today in Melbourne, following a difficult time and several mishaps in pre-season testing.

But the teenager acquitted himself well around the Albert Park circuit, ending the session in 16th position while running on a high fuel load to collect valuable data for Sunday.

"For me it was a good day," Stroll said.

"I did some laps and was just learning the track. It feels good to just finally break the ice and do some driving, especially as it has been quite a long build-up as I got here early to acclimatise."

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Wisely, Stroll chose a gradual approach dictated in part by his lack of knowledge of the Melbourne venue.

"It is not a track I have been to before, so I can’t just go out and push to the limit. I have to build up to it, which is what I was doing today, and still leaving a bit of a margin.

"There is not a lot of room for error on this track, but it is fun and so far I have really enjoyed driving it.

"FP2 was quite a scruffy session for me. The first run was alright, but then on the second one it was a shame as there was a yellow flag so I had to abort the lap, which meant we missed out on that one lap on the ultrasofts we wanted.

"However, today were just the first practice sessions. I think I can still improve as I am learning a lot, and there is still a lot to understand."

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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.