Haas' double-points finish 'a good way to go on holiday'

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Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix was a rather straight-forward affair for Kevin Magnussen, the Dane concluding Formula 1 first half of the season with another top ten finish.

Magnussen launched his race from ninth, gained two spots on the opening lap and held his own from there on after, the US outfit complementing its driver's performance with a perfectly executed one-stop strategy.

"I was quite happy today," said the Dane. "Had a good first lap, gained some positions, and took it home from there.

"Not a very eventful race, except for the first lap, but that’s fine for us. We scored a double-points finish for the team and that’s a good way to go on holiday."

Hungarian GP: Sunday's action in pictures

Team mate Romain Grosjean made it a collective run in the points for Haas, the Frenchman concluding his race tenth but stumbling for the better part of the afternoon on Renault's Carlos Sainz.

"I spent 50 laps behind Sainz, being half-a-second to one second faster," lamented Grosjean.

"As soon as you get close to the car in front of you, it just goes and there’s nothing you can do. That was a bit of a shame but, overall, I think we really did a great job.

"We jumped (Nico) Hulkenberg and (Brendon) Hartley, showing that we had an amazing pace.

"Generally, I think we had a great pace, so it’s good to have two cars in the top-10. We’ve had a really good weekend. The race pace was so much better than P10."

Haas, which inched closer to Renault in the Constructor's standings, now heads into a well-deserved summer break, a period that will provide a good opportunity for a reset before everyone tackles the second part of the season.

"Two cars in the points – good end to the first half of the season and for everyone to go into the summer break," said team boss Guenther Steiner.

"Closing in on our opponents and moving away from the others is fantastic. Everyone can relax a little bit, come back stronger and try to get more points after the summer break."

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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.