Gasly now knows how to put his Toro Rosso in the 'sweet spot'

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It hasn't been the most consistent of seasons so far for Toro Rosso, but Pierre Gasly's impressive run in the points in Hungary highlighted two conditions to make his STR13 a force to be reckoned with in F1's midfield.

The Frenchman scored his third top-ten finish at the Hungaroring, the first two coming in Bahrain, in the second race of the season where he clinched a sensational fourth-place finish, and in Monaco.

Overall however, the Faenza-based squad has struggled to optimize the balance of its STR13 chassis. But when it has, the right set-up coupled with Pirelli's soft tyres puts the car right in the midfield mix.

Tost proclaims Gasly is now a 'mature driver'

"It seems that with soft compound we are pretty fast," says Gasly.

"Monaco was one of these races where we managed to keep the tyres alive for a really long time.

"You need to have a good balance as well, good stability, not too much snaps. And the balance [in Hungary], honestly, it reminded me a bit of Bahrain.

"I was really happy with the car, comfortable, I could attack without losing the rear or fighting with the rear or the front too much," he adds.

"I think we found the sweet spot [for Hungary] again and it's pretty hard for us to be in that window, but we managed to do it.

"And we know that when the balance is good we can make the tyres last pretty long."

It's not just the balance that extracts the most of the tyres however.

Gasly himself admits that when it comes to tyre management, his knowledge and understanding has "improved massively" since his days in GP2, where high-degradation was the norm.

The rookie's extended 32-lap first stint on the ultrasoft compound in Hungary undeniably helped him land his P6 finish.

"I wasn't struggling as much as the others were," he says.

"I think in terms of tyre management I've just improved massively compared to my first season in GP2, where I was too aggressive with the tyres.

"I've learned a lot and now it's paying [off], so I'm really happy about it."

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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.