Gasly offered F1 debut with Toro Rosso in Malaysia!

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Red Bull junior Pierre Gasly is all set for his maiden Grand Prix next weekend in Malaysia where the French driver replacing Daniil Kvyat.

Reports suggest that Red Bull's bosses have decided to put the Russian driver on the sidelines at Sepang in order to give Gasly a long-awaited opportunity to race in F1.

The 21-year-old, who is racing in Japan's Super Formula series this year, was eventually expected to replace Carlos Sainz at the Faenza-based outfit had the Spaniard made an early move to Renault, the team for which he will be racing in 2018.

Gasly a logical replacement for Sainz - Horner

That prospect has now been discarded following Jolyon Palmer's decision to enforce the terms of his contract with Renaut and subsequently see out the remainder of the season.

Red Bull could actually provide Gasly with two outings, in Malaysia and Japan, before recalling Kvyat for the US Grand Prix in Austin which clashes with the ultimate round of the Japanese Super Formula championship.

Kvyat has struggled to perform in the past two seasons following his demotion from Red Bull Racing to Toro Rosso, when Max Verstappen was promoted to the senior outfit.

The 23-year-old Kvyat has 71 races under his belt, having achieved his best result in China in 2016 when he finished second.

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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.