Gasly hails 'the best thing that could have happened to us'

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Pierre Gasly collected his third top-ten finish of the season in the Hungarian Grand Prix, the Toro Rosso driver concluding his race with a spotless run to sixth place.

The 22-year-old capitalized on his already remarkable P6 performance achieved in qualifying, never putting a foot wrong around the tight and twisty Hungraroring.

The effort however hadn't been an easy Sunday drive for the Frenchman.

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"Really tough in these conditions but an amazing result, especially after the last couple of races when we struggled big time," he enthused while talking to Sky F1.

"I think it's the best thing which could have happened to us, with Toro Rosso, and a nice way to finish the first part of the season."

From the outside, Gasly's race looked like a solitary run, much like Bahrain earlier this year where he scored his first championship points.

The junior bull was mindful of his followers however, and particularly of Haas' Kevin Magnussen.

"Kevin was pushing pretty hard behind me and I know Haas is pretty fast, so I just tried to give everything I had with the tyres, make them last and be at the limit as much as I could. It was fantastic!"

While much of the talk around young drivers has focused on Sauber's Charles Leclerc, Gasly own stock is also soaring.

As a Red Bull driver, a promotion to the senior outfit down the road appears like a logical step, but the Gas-man isn't getting carried away with that prospect, believing patience is a virtue.

"You need to be patient of course, everything goes really quickly in Formula 1, and you guys like to speak straight away about big things and it's pretty nice, but at the moment I'm still in my first season in F1, he said, his head firmly set on his shoulders.

"I'm learning a lot this year and as long as I keep performing I think my time will come, but I just need to keep focusing on myself and improve , and we will see…"

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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.