Haas still targeting Toro Rosso in constructor's standings

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Haas F1 Team currently lies 8th in the constructor's standings, some 17 points adrift from direct rival Toro Rosso.

Guenther Steiner, the boss of the US outfit, has pinpointed Toro Rosso as a hard target in its quest to move up at least one spot in the constructor's standings between now and the end of the year.

Steiner believes Haas can do it on its own merit despite failing to score a single point in the last five races.

"We will try to catch up to Toro Rosso," Steiner said.

"You need to set your goals, if you just say 'we learn' and set no real target it sounds a little bit too easy. Our target is to try and catch Toro Rosso.

"That would be a fantastic thing to do but it's difficult, because if the top five teams don't have problems, to get in the top ten is difficult.

"Then even if you finish 10^th it is only one point. I think we are 17 behind or something, but we will try our best to do it."

While Haas remains a work in progress, Steiner believes the team's VF-16 challenger is now equal or indeed even better in terms of performance compared to Toro Rosso's STR11 chassis, although that may not be enough to move the outfit up the hierarchy.

"I would say the last three races we were stronger than them, if you look at the results that is quite clear. We made a good step forward.

"But the difficulty is not that we have to beat Toro Rosso, we have to beat someone else to get points, and that's the difficult thing."

In its maiden F1 season, Haas has been confronted with a steep learning curve while also forced to iron out working issues with its technical partners, like Dallara.

Steiner underlined how improvements on this front have slowly but surely materialized.

"I think we got a lot of things sorted. Everything is a big work, you never have everything you sorted - you keep working. The relationship is good.

"We learned a lot from last year. What to do and what not to do – not what not to do, but how to do things more efficiently. But there is no specific issue with Dallara."

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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.