Vandoorne gets into the mid-field mix

Stoffel Vandoorne's productive day of work yesterday bodes well for the remainder of McLaren's race weekend.

The Belgian enjoyed a couple of trouble-free sessions, ending FP2 P11, pleased with the direction and momentum of the package beneath him.

"It’s been a reasonably good day’s running," said the McLaren rookie on Thursday.

"If you look at the lap-times, you can see how extremely tight it is in the midfield – and that’s exactly where we are.

"That means we really need to maximise every single opportunity that comes our way this weekend so we can eke out every last bit of performance from the car.

"An extra tenth or two could make a huge difference in Saturday’s qualifying."

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Vandoorne's focus has been on improving his performance, which by his own admittance has lacked a bit of luster since the season got underway, although Honda's engine woes also contributed negatively to his results.

The 25-year-old has sought to build and enhance the relationship with his engineers in order to better understand how to move himself and his car forward.

"I’m feeling pretty comfortable in the car. I think we’ll make some small adjustments ahead of FP3, and those should hopefully help us take another slight step forward.

"The most important thing around here is to build up throughout the weekend, and to be fully prepared for qualifying.

"I think we can be in good shape for that. There’s still more to come from us this weekend."

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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.