Categories: F1 News, Reports and Race ResultsHaas F1 Team

Stellar debut for Haas and Grosjean

"This is a win for us!" exclaimed Romain Grosjean to his ecstatic team over the radio on the slow-down lap of today's Australian GP.

The event will go down as a historic milestone for the Haas F1 Team, marking its debut in Grand Prix racing and its first world championship points.

Grosjean put in a flawless performance, driving steadily throughout the entire race, steered by the team's perfect strategy call, to deliver an impressive sixth place finish for himself and the rookie US squad.

"It feels like standing on the top step of the podium for us, it’s been an amazing race, amazing weekend. Australia has never been very nice to me so finally I change [team] and it works."

It's been a hard and highly charged period for Haas since the team hit the ground in Barcelona for pre-season testing.

Teething problems limiting mileage coupled with the team's efforts to build a second car meant that a mere finish in Australia would have been considered a huge success.

"Since day one I told the guys the car has got huge potential, so the result is more a boost for everyone.

"The key was the strategy and the red flag, we could change the tyres so we had a free pit stop and staying on the medium tyres for 39 laps to the end of the race.

"It wasn’t easy because we had no reference whatsoever of what to put in the car, what to change in terms of aero, but we kind of got it right and we made it.

"We’ve got plenty of areas where we can improve, we know it. But that result is a morale boost for everyone."

AS IT HAPPENED: 2016 Australian Grand Prix

2016 F1 season: Team-by-team preview

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.