Leclerc to 'give it everything' in last race for Sauber

©Sauber

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Charles Leclerc will pull out all the stops when the lights go out on Sunday to try to deliver the best possible result for Sauber in his last outing with the Swiss outfit.

The Monegasque's efforts in his ultimate qualifying session for the Swiss outfit brought him an eighth-place position on the grid, next to Haas' Romain Grosjean.

"To be honest it's a big surprise for us to have been fighting for best of the rest today after struggling to put the tyres in the right range, because it's pretty warm and the tyres overheat quite a lot," explained the Ferrari-bound driver.

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"Sector 1 and sector 2 were great, but it has been pretty good all weekend. Unfortunately we were losing all the performance in sector 3.

"Then in the end in qualifying it went a bit better, we weren't losing as much in sector 3 so it was a good compromise."

Looking ahead, Leclerc is expecting some solid opposition from Grosjean at the outset.

"It's going to be difficult to pass Romain, because he's extremely quick here, but I'll give it everything," he insists.

"It's my last race with this team and I really want to thank them in the best way possible after everything they have done for me this year.

"I'll push to try and overtake him and then try and keep him behind."

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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.