Hulkenberg: 'We've put ourselves in a good position'

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On the eve of its final mid-field battle of 2017, Renault gained an upper hand on its rivals thanks to Nico Hulkenberg's seventh-place performance in qualifying on Saturday.

The French manufacturer is fighting to overhaul Toro Rosso for P6 in the Constructors' standings, with just four points separating the two teams, while Haas is just six points adrift. A result worth a hefty $6.5 million bonus for the team which prevails.

Hulkenberg's P7 spot on Sunday's grid gives Renault a relative head start over its championship rivals which will start the race well down the order.

"We know it’s only qualifying and anything can happen in the race, but we’ve put ourselves in a good position," says the German.

"I had one of my best quali laps this year in Q2 and I was very pleased with that. In Q3 I was starting to struggle a bit more, as the temperatures were dropping off but we see that every year.

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"The long run pace has felt pretty good and I have felt strong in the car so we are as confident as we can be at this stage.

"We will approach tomorrow as a normal race, but are hoping we can hang on to that seventh place."

Renault is also hoping to count on Carlos Sainz as a points contender despite the Spaniard's lininbg up outside of the top ten.
"I have to say that from my side it was a bit disappointing in the end, particularly as we felt we had the pace in FP3 and Q1 to make it through to Q3.

"Unfortunately Q2 was a bit compromised by front tyre warm-up – I had a poor out lap and couldn’t put temperature in the tyres so the fastest lap was not optimum.

"We have shown we have the pace over the long runs, so tomorrow we are targeting a good race and getting into the points.

"Nico is in a very good position and it puts the team into a strong place for the race tomorrow, which is very important."

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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.