Williams rookie Lance Stroll continued his comprehensive on-track preparation for 2017 last week, running laps at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia with a 2014 Williams FW36.

Stroll comes into Formula 1 as perhaps the best prepared rookie in history, his father having funded a huge test programme - reputed to cost about $80 million - which started last year and has seen the 18-year-old accumulate track time and huge mileage surrounded by a dedicated team supplied by Williams.

  • F1 no Sunday stroll for Lance

Stroll is expected to continue his full scale training activity by getting acquainted with two other non-European venues before stepping into the thick of things when pre-season testing begins in earnest at the end of February in Barcelona.

GALLERY: F1 drivers' wives and girlfriends

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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.

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