Renault's Hulkenberg: 'P6 is a big success for the team'

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Renault equaled its best result of the year at Silverstone as Nico Hulkenberg brought the French squad its second sixth-place finish after a solid drive.

Hulkenberg launched his race from P5 and while he lost out to Valtteri Bottas early on, he remained out of a reach of his direct Force India rivals for the mid-field battle.

The German driver actually looked set to claim fifth in the closing stages of the race, but a leak around the exhaust in the final laps led to a gradual loss of the energy recovery system, and allowed Red Bull Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo to take the position.

"We are very happy with the race result today," said a very satisfied Hulkenberg.

"P6 is a big success for the team. We were able to get a good lap in qualifying and then to carry it through to the race."

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A flawless performance by the Hulk coupled with good strategy kept the yellow car in contention for a top-six finish despite a late reliability fright.

"We had a strong race pace, and were able to keep ahead of both Force Indias, which is really positive.

"We lost some power at the end, especially down the straights, which made it easier for Daniel to pass me, but then we gained back a position from Seb [Vettel] when he had his problem.

"Overall this is a very positive result. The new upgrades worked really well, we were able to push the car and I’m really pleased for the 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.