Grosjean looking forward to Baku and another mid-field battle

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Haas' Romain Grosjean enjoyed his first experience in Baku last year and relishes another exciting mid-field battle with his rivals in Azerbaijan.

The Frenchman calls Baku "two different circuits" in one, the Herman Tilke-designed track blending old and new amid fast straights and slow corners.

It’s a unique and challenging layout that is augmented by Baku’s notorious winds, which are always prevalent. In fact, City of Winds is the unofficial, but literary, name for Baku.

"It’s going to be pretty exciting," Grosjean said in the US outfit's preview.

"I think some parts of the circuit are going to be very tight for the wider cars, but some other corners are going to be really nice to drive.

"Straight-line speed is going to be a bit down. I think it’s going to be a really cool track to drive with these cars – braking late and carrying a lot of speed in the corners, and playing around with some pretty fast corners through the walls."

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There were no points for Haas in Azerbaikjan last year, for F1's first visit, but there are always lessons from the past to be applied to the present.

"I believe there’s always a lot of things you can bring from the past, even when the cars are different," says the Frenchman.

"We’ll look at what we did last year, what our setup was like, and what we could’ve done better in the race.

"I think we’ve got some ideas and we’ll apply that with the deltas of this year. There are always things we can learn and improve."

It's a huge battle in F1's mid-field this season, and one which Grosjean is obviously appreciating.

"It’s actually very exciting. If you were removing the three big teams at the front and only leaving the midfield, there would be a different race winner almost every Grand Prix.

"The difference between pole position and P2 in Canada was much bigger than from P10 to around P17 or P18.

"That shows how tight it is in the midfield and how much we have to be getting 100 percent from the car every time."

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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.