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Rossi to return to Manor for US GP

Formula 1 rookie Alexander Rossi wrapped-up his Japanese Grand Prix weekend with a clean track record one week after his impressive debut with Manor in Singapore.

The young American made no mistakes around the challenging Suzuka track and finished for the second time in front of team mate Will Stevens.

Manor regular Roberto Mehri will be back in the car for Sochi while Rossi will resume his GP2 duties, but the latter has naturally been awarded the drive for his home Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.

"I didn't get a chance to perform in qualifying because of the red flag which was brought out as a result of Verstappen's incident," Rossi said. "I started behind my team mate but had stronger pace than him after the first stop. "

Rossi was closely following Stevens in the last part of the race when the British driver spun on the exit of the blindingly fast 130R sweep.

"I was trying to get past Will when he spun. Thankfully, I was able to get out of the way, but it was a real heart-in-mouth moment that I'm sure looked every bit as dramatic from outside the cockpit as it did from where I was sitting!"

Rossi admitted to be satisfied with his Grand Prix debut races and with the quantity of precious information which was taken in.

"All in all, I'm pleased with how things are going after two races and glad we had a good race after a difficult weekend."

"My next race will be in Sochi with my GP2 Series Team Racing Engineering, where I’ll be looking forward to continuing the battle for 1st and 2nd in the rankings. I’m extremely passionate about finishing what we started there, and I will be looking to achieve another strong result."

"Then I will return to Manor Marussia F1 Team for the US Grand Prix. I’m incredibly happy I’ll be able to drive in front of my home crowd with this very special team."

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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.