Force India prepping for 'massive' battle with McLaren and Renault

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Force India's Bob Fernley believes McLaren and the works Renault team will both be huge forces to be reckoned with in this year's campaign.

Thanks to its remarkable level of performance and consistency, the Silverstone-based outfit has finished 'best of the rest' in the Constructors' standings in the last two seasons.

But Fernley is expecting Force India to be challenged in 2018 by its two rivals which enjoy bigger budgets and the potential to raise their level of performance.

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"Caution would be both Renault and McLaren look quite handy so make sure we focus on the winter," Fernley told Motorsport.com.

"They are a significant threat and we need to take it seriously. We need to do quite a bit of work ourselves to make sure that we accommodate that.

"There will be no quarter given for those three cars. The three teams will be locked into a massive battle."

Force India has shown a remarkable ability to make the most of one of the smallest budgets on the grid. At £90m, the pink outfit's funding significantly dwarfs that of McLaren (£185M) and Renault (£150M).

"It'll always be difficult to compete against the bigger budgets, but saying that, we've done it for two years in a row so there's no reason why we can't do it for a third," said Fernley.

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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.