Lots of room for improvement for 2017 - Grosjean

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With the curtain now closed on its maiden F1 season, Haas will start reviewing its year but Romain Grosjean has already labeled 2016 as "a wonderful season".

Gene Haas' troops enjoyed a fairytale debut with points scored, pretty much against all odds, in three of the first four races thanks to the French driver's efforts.

It all tightened up for Haas however as the rookie team raced deeper into the season, but the issues and obstacles thrown its way were always going to be part of the learning curve.

Haas ended its run with both Grosjean and Gutierrez finishing just outside of the points in Abu Dhabi, and the team achieving eighth in the Constructors' standings.

"We've had a wonderful season and surprised everyone, ourselves included, with some highs and some lows," Grosjean said.

"We didn't score points [in Abu Dhabi] but if you take out the top-six cars of Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari, we're only the third team behind, which is not that bad."

Looking ahead to 2017 and its massive regulation overhaul facing all teams, Grosjean believes progress can be made in all departments but perhaps especially on the tyre management front.

"There are a lot of things we can improve through the winter, mainly about the tyres. Clearly there were some laps where my pace was amazing and the car felt really good when the tyres were working.

“Then a few laps later things are going out of sync. It’s clear where we have to work. All the other teams are close to their limits where we have so much that we can improve on for next season.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

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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.