Hulkenberg pitched car into spin to avoid Raikkonen

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Nico Hulkenberg's seventh place finish in Mexico helped Force India extend its edge over Williams in the constructors' standings.

The German driver launched his race from fifth on the gird and raced as high as fourth before falling back a bit as the tyre rotations took place. He eventually moved back up into P6, but with just five laps to go, Hulkenberg succumbed to an attack by Kimi Raikkonen to finish P7.

"Coming here we were a bit concerned, as from the remaining tracks this was Williams' strongest one," he explained after the race. "So coming away having gained one point is okay. I did what I could, I really squeezed the maximum out.

"The other car [Sergio Pérez, in 10th] had a difficult weekend, so I think it's good what we did and I'm certainly happy about that."

As Raikkonen loomed larger in Hulkenberg's mirrors in the closing stages of the race, the Force India driver knew that keeping the Ferrari behind was always going to be difficult.

"I was surprised we could keep him behind for so long. I tried to defend as hard as I could on the inside, but braking on a dirty line with 60-lap-old tyres is quite tricky!

"He turned in on me and there was no way I could stop the car, so I forced it into a spin to avoid a crash."

Hulkenberg labeled his impressive performance in qualifying on Saturday as the highlight of his weekend, but endured a rather solitary run in the race.

"The race was good but quite unspectacular. I was by myself pretty much the whole race, just managing my tyres and my car, and my brakes. But it's also nice for a change to have a quiet one."

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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.