Ocon sets his Sunday sights on Hulkenberg and Renault

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Esteban Ocon put in another solid effort Saturday afternoon that delivered a P8 slot on the Canadian Grand Prix grid, but the Force India driver reckons he's in for a tight battle with his Renault counter-parts.

The Frenchman improved throughout each segment of the all-important afternoon session with a clean and tidy performance that put him with a tenth of Renault's Nico Hulkenberg.

Both the German and team mate Carlos Sainz recovered from a troubled Friday to put themselves in the top ten mix, along with Force India's chargers.

"I was very impressed by how quick they were today to be honest," said Ocon.

"They didn't have that pace yesterday and they came back quite a lot. Today, they were a bit ahead of us, one tenth, I still qualified ahead of Carlos.

"It's going to be our target tomorrow, to beat them in the race."

Vettel flies to pole in Canada, as Hamilton slides to fourth

Ocon underlines his team's productive work and consistent progress since the Canadian GP weekend got underway, and which bodes well for Sunday's 70-lap race.

"I had a fantastic feeling with the car and we’ve been getting better with each session," he said.

"The work last night and in final practice really paid off and we took big steps forward in the build-up to qualifying.

"So I have to say a big ‘thank you’ to the team because we are really making good progress with this car.

"I think there is all to play for tomorrow: we are often stronger with race pace so the job tomorrow is to try and get ahead of Hulkenberg and bring home some big points."

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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.