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Sainz hoping upgrade will help fight McLaren

Carlos Sainz hopes the upgrade Toro Rosso will be bringing to Hockenheim next weekend will help elevate the Italian squad's performance level to that of McLaren.

Sainz believes the Woking outfit has surpassed Toro Rosso in terms of speed as the two teams battle for sixth in the constructors championship.

Sainz finished last Sunday's Hungarian GP in 8th position, a result achieved for the third time in succession, just behind the slightly faster McLaren of Fernando Alonso.

"Obviously Fernando got us at the start, and then it wasn’t possible to pass him?" Sainz said.

"I think he had a couple of tenths on us, and it was impossible to get closer than three seconds. I think he was controlling us.

" McLaren has definitely got ahead of us. It’s a bit worrying knowing how much of the season is left, and their development rate.

"But we will try to compensate that and we will try to go as fast as possible and see if we can pull them back."

Toro Rosso should be implementing an update on their STR11 challenger next weekend, which Sainz is hoping will improve his performance on a track he has yet to race at.

"We have a step hopefully coming on in Germany. There we should do a step forward in performance.

"This will be the first time I drive the Hockenheim circuit in a Formula 1 car and I'm looking forward to it. I've prepared well with plenty of time in the simulator, which has given me a good idea of what to expect."

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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.