Williams rookie Lance Stroll's credentials

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Montreal-born Lance Stroll has been long-hailed as a racing prodigy and is now the latest iteration of Formula 1's youth movement which started at the turn of the century with Kimi Raikkonen.

When he lines up on the Australian Grand Prix grid in Melbourne next year, Stroll, who turned 18 on October 29, will become the second youngest driver in F1 history to start a Grand Prix, with Max Verstappen still leading the record books.

The son of prominent Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, Lance obviously benefitted from his father's financial might, helping him graduate swiftly and successfully from karting to Italian Formula 4 in 2014, and then on to the European F3 series with Prema Powerteam in 2015.

In the interim, Stroll's burgeoning talent was also incorporated into Ferrari's Driver Academy, but in November 2015, he decided to leave Ferrari to serve as test and development driver for Williams.

While Stroll remained with Prema Powerteam for 2016, blitzing the competition and winning the European F3 series by a massive 187 points, he honed his F1 skills behind the wheel of a 2014 Williams, accumulating as much mileage as possible during a rigorous training regime as he prepared for the big time.

Stroll will be the first driver since Verstappen to graduate directly from F3 to F1, and the first Canadian to line up on a Grand Prix grid since Jacques Villeneuve in 1996.

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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.