Giovinazzi ecstatic over quali performance!

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Rookie Antonio Giovinazzi put in a great effort in qualifying on Saturday for a young man who had no idea he would even be in the Sauber when he woke up this morning.

With just 17 laps under his belt before the grid-defining session got underway, the young Italian charger, who was slot in for Pascal Wehrlein, gradually built up his speed without putting a foot wrong.

At one point, it even looked like a tremendous upset was in the works with Giovinazzi heading team mate Marcus Ericsson with just a minute to go in Q1, but the Swede ultimately salvaged a spot in Q2 while his novice team mate settled for P16.

"That is a special day for me kicking off my first Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend," said the joyous Italian.

"I am really happy with my performance today, I was just a few tenths away from Q2. It will be a long race tomorrow.

Giovinazzi replaces Wehrlein for Australian GP!

Giovinazzi, who is the first Italian driver to race in F1 since Vitantonio Liuzzi and Jarno Trulli in 2011, still has some huge work cut out for him on Sunday.

The 58-lap race around Albert Park could be potentially physically difficult for anyone, let alone for Sauber's new recruit.

"A lot can happen here in Melbourne. I will do my best to put in my maximum performance."

All in all, a mighty impressive result for a young man who didn't imagine driving in his first F1 race when he got out of bed this morning!

Gallery: all the pics from Saturday's action

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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.