Fuel appetite impacted McLaren-Honda pace - Boullier

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McLaren's Eric Boullier says that the necessity to save fuel cost Fernando Alonso up to 50 seconds in last Sunday's Russian GP.

While the Frenchman was happy with both his drivers' reliable run in Sochi, and Alonso's sixth place finish and subsequent points, fuel saving constraints remain an issue at McLaren-Honda.

"We're relieved and happy for the guys back at the factory because everyone is pushing very very hard," Boullier said.

"In terms of the race, we had to save a lot of fuel but Fernando had a couple of laps at the end when he stopped saving fuel. You could see the pace difference was then massive.

"So without fuel saving we'd save another 50s which we would've had at the end of the race. If you look, we are with Williams [without fuel-saving] so it's the kind of progress we need to go [further]."

While progress is still ongoing, Boullier admitted however that the team's performance in qualifying still requires more effort, as does the development process of deployment.

"We keep bringing performance and missing Q3 for one tenth was a bit of blow. This track did not suit us in terms of lay-out and especially fuel saving. But I think on other tracks we will be able to use more pace out of the car.

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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.