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Rossi still pushing for Manor seat in 2016

US driver Alexander Rossi says that he's still hopeful of securing a race seat in 2016, obviously with Manor as the minnow outfit is the only team left on the grid with available drives.

Rossi drove in five Grand Prix with Manor in the later part of the 2015 season, acquitting himself quite well relative to the British team's regular driver Will Stevens.

While Mercedes have ramped up its efforts to get protégé Pascal Wehrlein to make his Grand Prix debut this season with Manor, the second seat appears very disputed between Rossi, Stevens and Indonesian driver Rio Haryanto.

"Talks are every day," Rossi told Sky Sports. "I think the deadline is really when cars roll in Barcelona in a couple of weeks.

"Things sometimes get pushed out in this sport and it is something I am used to and hopefully it doesn't go on to much longer. Things are looking positive and hopefully we get it done very soon."

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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.