Alfa banking on 'consistency' to fight with McLaren

Alfa Romeo Racing boss Frédéric Vasseur is confident his outfit can move up the order after the summer break and challenge midfield leader McLaren, if the Swiss team can deliver consistency.

Alfa currently stands seventh in F1's constructors' standings, just ahead of Racing Point but 50 points adrift from 'best of the rest' runner McLaren.

The Hinwil-based squad's 32-point tally has come courtesy of Kimi Raikkonen's eight top-ten finishes in the first half of the season, or nine if one includes Hockenheim where the Finn and teammate Antonio Giovinazzi were demoted outside of the points following a time penalty.

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Catching McLaren at the top the midfield is a tall order for Alfa, but Vasseur is "optimistic" that feat can be achieved if his team displays consistency with both its cars in the second half of the year.

"Consistency is important in the middle of the pack," Vasseur told Motorsport.com.

"I think McLaren is always there also, but I hope we are able to fight with McLaren in the second part of the season.

"We have to be consistent. We have to get the cars into the points every single weekend, and try to do it with two cars.

"I think we can be optimistic. If you compare with Barcelona, we were far away, and we’ve improved consistently from that stage of the season.

"We are pushing hard to bring updates, and we have to keep the same path for the last part of the season."

©AlfaRomeo

Upcoming power tracks Spa and Monza should prove to be favourable terrain for anyone powered by a Ferrari engine. Yet Vasseur sees Alfa rather outperforming from Singapore.

"It’s also an issue of aero package," he said. "I think we will come back around Singapore, at normal tracks."

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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.