Hulkenberg upholds top-ten qualifying run

Nico Hulkenberg continued his top-ten qualifying trend, placing his Renault RS17 eighth on tomorrow's Russian Grand Prix grid.

The German enjoyed pretty much a trouble-free run through the afternoon's successive quali segments, pushing the Renault as far up the ranks as he could.

“I think that was the best we could do with the package we have currently, so it’s been a satisfying afternoon from that point of view," Hulkenberg said.

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The German qualified seventh in China and Bahrain but only brought home two points from those races because of the RS17's inherent race pace deficit.

Renault addressed the weakness with aero updates brought to Russia, but Hulkenberg still reported balance issues on his long run on Friday.

"The challenge will be in the race; our pace then has been trickier so far this season so tomorrow will be the true teller of where we are in the car with our recent upgrade.

"We’ll push, as always, and hopefully come away with some nice points."

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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.