Confident Kvyat knows he can 'fight with others' in Bahrain

©ToroRosso

Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat heads to Bahrain with a full supply of confidence in his bags after a positive opening outing in Melbourne.

The Russian driver's opening salvo for his return to F1 led to a top-ten finish Down Under and the feeling that his team and himself are in the mid-field mix.

"The way things went in Australia meant it was a very good way to start the season," said Kvyat ahead of next weekend's second round of the F1 world championship.

"It was a real confidence boost for the team because the indications are that we are in the mix with everyone. It puts us all in a positive frame of mind as we go to the next race in Bahrain.

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"It’s clear we can fight with others, with the teams around us in the midfield, which is very promising.

"We have to keep working hard on developing our package and improving our understanding of the car.

"I also have to work hard with my engineering crew, to ensure we extract everything out of the car in every session we have on track and we can see where that takes us in Bahrain."

Despite his 15 months on the sidelines, Kvyat blended back in seamlessly with Toro Rosso in Melbourne.

"In Australia, I was impressed with the way the team worked operationally with everyone, as the mechanics and engineers all played their part.

"It’s good to see this spirit in the team and we need to continue with this approach in the coming races."

©ToroRosso

Beyond Bahrain's specific challenges, Kvyat believes the venue will be more representative of the track conditions teams are likely to contend with overall this year, especially with regard to tyres.

"It’s a very different circuit to Albert Park, it’s a real race track and therefore it will be a very good test for us to see how the car works there.

"Bahrain is more similar to many other tracks on the calendar than Albert Park, so we should get a slightly clearer idea of where we are and how good our car is.

"The temperatures will be higher than in Melbourne, so again it will be more representative of the tyre conditions we will encounter during the major part of the season."

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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.