Ferrari-Mercedes battle a race by race affair - Binotto

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Ferrari tech boss Mattia Binotto doesn't believe the second part of the F1 season will yield a dominant force, with neither Ferrari or Mercedes edging out the other.

Following Ferrari's opening salvo in Melbourne the Italian squad appeared to enjoy a slight advantage over its German counterpart before Mercedes regained momentum.

But the Scuderia concluded its first half of the season with a win in Hungary, thanks to Sebastian Vettel.

Binotto believes the second part of the year will continue to see the two front-runners trading places.

"I think each race is different to the others," said the Swiss engineer.

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"There were races at the start of the season where we were competitive and others where Mercedes has been competitive.

"So I don't think there is a clear trend in the competitiveness of the two teams," Binotto added.

Nico Rosberg recently suggested that his former team would likely emerge victorious at the Abu Dhabi finale in November as he banked on the Silver Arrows squad to win the development race.

"Certainly the development is very important," Binotto admitted. "That has to be done race by race.

"There are still many races to go, we are at just half of the season and I don't see any reasons why the trend needs to be for one team or the other."

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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.