Canadian GP - Race - Force India Quotes

The Force India cars had looked competitive all weekend and they didn't disappoint come race day. They were running a solid fourth and fifth for much of the race, keeping Ricciardo ahead very honest. Ocon however, was unable to get past his team mate despite much fresher rubber. That led to a number of heated radio exchanges, with Ocon insisting that he could get past Ricciardo if Perez would let him by. The Mexican was having none of it, and the messages became more urgent with Vettel closing behind. Ultimately, Ocon gave it a go only to have the door shut by Perez - and Vettel took the opportunity to slide through. The Ferrari was comfortably faster and Perez had to yield a lap later. Fifth and sixth is a decent result, but bittersweet with a podium in the offing...

Sergio Perez, 5th
“I’m pleased to come away with fifth place because it was a very intense afternoon. For nearly the whole race I was running close behind Riccardo in his DRS window and waiting for my opportunity to overtake. I could see he was struggling in certain areas and, as we started to come through the lapped traffic, I thought I deserved the chance to try and overtake him. I tried my best and really pushed hard, but it just wasn’t possible to make the move. It was the same situation with Esteban behind me for almost half the race, but it was only on the final lap that he got really close to me when we were lapping Ericsson. I knew Esteban had better tyre life because my engineers made me aware of the situation and I replied by asking the team to simply let us race. I think the team was fair and respected my view. The team always comes first and we raced hard, but fair. I always give my best and I’m very happy we could come away with so many points from this race.”

Esteban Ocon, 6th
“As a team we scored really important points today, but I am a bit frustrated by this result because I feel a podium may have been possible. This is the way racing goes and we have to look at the positives: we had a great car that allowed us to take the fight to Ferrari and Red Bull and that is quite impressive. I am confident it won’t be the last time we will fight at this level and it was an awesome feeling – a really enjoyable race. The team as a whole did a great job today - they gave me such a fast car and we can be proud of our work and of the points we have gained.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“A fantastic performance and result by the team. The car has been competitive all weekend and it’s very satisfying to see us convert our potential into a good bunch of points. The battle between Sergio and Esteban was one of the stories of the race and showed how closely-matched they are as teammates. We clearly had the quicker car compared to the Red Bull of Ricciardo, but overtaking in Montreal is never easy and we spent almost the entire race in his wheel tracks. After the pit stops, Esteban was right behind Sergio and had a pace advantage thanks to his fresher tyres. We advised both drivers of the situation and considered switching them around, but ultimately we chose to let them race. They were tough with each other on the track, but it was a fair fight. Sadly we couldn’t contain Vettel, but picking up 18 points extends our points advantage in the championship. We now have scored more than twice the points of the fifth placed team. We also saw really competitive car pace this weekend and that’s encouraging for the races to come, especially Baku in two weeks’ time.”

Formula1.com 

Canadian GP - Qualifying - Force India Quotes

Force India had been mixing it with the Red Bulls in practice, but when qualifying rolled around, they couldn't quite match the top teams. Nonetheless, with both drivers making Q3, there is a very good chance of another double points haul. Perez shaded Ocon by a tenth, but will have been disappointed to be pipped by Massa for P7.

Sergio Perez, 8th, 1:13.018
“I am pleased with our performance today. The car was giving me confidence and my flying laps were clean and tidy. Eighth is a good position to start the race and, even though the strategy options will be quite limited on this track, I am confident we can come away with a decent result. It will be a close fight with the cars around us because the gaps are small, but our race pace looked good yesterday so we should be competitive.”

Esteban Ocon, 9th, 1:13.135
“I’m pleased with today. The car has been strong since FP1 and we’ve done a good job in all the sessions by always moving forward and improving the car with each run. It’s also a new track for me so I’ve taken things step-by-step and built my confidence with the car and the track. I really enjoyed qualifying – pushing more and more through the chicanes and getting closer to the walls. It’s an old-school track and definitely a challenge for the drivers. To start from ninth means we are already in the points and I have a good feeling for the race. The priority is to get a clean first lap, stay out of trouble and find a rhythm to make the most of our competitive race pace.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“Lining up in eighth and ninth places for tomorrow’s Canadian Grand Prix represents an excellent effort by the entire team. It’s in the ballpark of where we expected to be and puts us in the fight for good points tomorrow. Sergio and Esteban have been very closely matched through all the sessions and it’s great to see this competition within the team, which helps push us forward and maximise performance. For tomorrow we should have competitive race pace allowing us to take the fight to the cars immediately ahead of us. With limited strategy options, it’s going to be especially important to capitalise on lap one to hold position and hopefully overtake some cars.”

Formula1.com

Canadian GP - Friday Practice - Force India Quotes

The Silverstone-based pink cars were back on the pace here, with Ocon in particular looking very impressive on his first acquaintance with the track. Their chances of getting back on the points-scoring trail look promising.

Sergio Perez - FP1: 1:14.578, P5; FP2: 1:14.501, P10
“A positive day. We are right up there where we expect to be in the top ten and I’m feeling comfortable with the balance and set-up changes we made during the day. We saw a lot of cars spinning, but that’s what happens with these cars and tyre compounds when you push to the limit. Also, the track was quite dirty and the windy conditions made things more difficult. A strong qualifying performance tomorrow is going to be very important because overtaking here is not easy and I think the strategy options on Sunday will be quite limited.”

Esteban Ocon - FP1: 1:14.785, P6; FP2: 1:14.299, P8
“I’m feeling pretty happy after my first experience of this circuit. The first job was to learn the track and that was pretty straightforward with no real dramas for me. I stayed out of trouble and away from the walls with just a little spin in the first session. The team is happy with what we learned today because we evaluated all the different test items and collected a huge amount of information. The car feels good at the moment, but I know there are some areas we can improve this evening.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“A straightforward day of practice, which allowed us to evaluate all our updates and adapt the car to this pretty unique track layout. Both drivers were happy with the baseline balance and worked through a busy programme of set-up changes and tyre data collection. We split the job list between the two cars so it’s now a case of understanding which direction to take for tomorrow. There’s definitely more performance to come ahead of qualifying and we must make sure we deliver clean and tidy laps because the margins between the teams are small and we expect a tight grid. There’s a chance of hotter weather conditions tomorrow and if that’s the case we need to make sure we can adapt quickly to higher track temperatures.”

Formula1.com

Canadian GP - Force India Preview

Sergio Perez
“I said after Monaco that I was proud of the team and the way we raced in Monaco. We gave it everything, but it wasn’t our day. It’s frustrating because the car felt good all weekend. It was a shame not to make the most of this opportunity and continue our run of races in the points.
“I feel confident about Montreal. It’s a track where I’ve had some good races and I like the challenge of the circuit. It’s all about being late on the brakes and aggressive through the chicanes. You have to be precise too with the walls so close to the track.
“I think the sport needs more tracks similar to Montreal where mistakes are punished. These old-school tracks excite the drivers and fans, and usually produce entertaining races.”

Esteban Ocon
“Montreal is another new track for me so I’m going to be on the learning curve on Friday. I know the lap from playing video games and being on the simulator, and I’ve always liked the circuit characteristics.
“Although I haven’t driven in Montreal, I know the place already from my visit last year. It’s definitely a cool event because everybody in the city supports the race and Canada really loves Formula One. It feels like a big party in the streets, especially on the Saturday night.
“After the bad luck in Monaco I want to get back to scoring points in Montreal. The car is getting better with each race and I think I’m fully up-to-speed now. I’m really happy with the team and the way we work together – we’ve already built up a good understanding and they know what I need from the car.”

Vijay Mallya, team principal
“I was naturally disappointed to see us leave Monaco empty-handed. Operationally we were strong and the car showed good pace, but sometimes the luck doesn’t go your way and there’s nothing you can do.
“The positives we take from Monaco leave us feeling optimistic for Canada. The car is working well and we’ve made progress over the last few races. The confidence throughout the team continues to grow and we approach every race knowing we can fight for points. It’s important we get back into our rhythm in Montreal and build on our strong start to the year.”

Tom McCullough, Chief Race Engineer
“Canada is a challenging track, with long straights and high speeds. Fuel consumption is high and the brakes are tested - with high energy and temperatures, wear is something to look after. On the other hand, the circuit is relatively easy on the tyres. We are bringing the three softest compounds to this race, yet still expect tyre degradation to be low. Good lap times come from being able to ride the apexes and the exit kerbs, but this can be risky as the majority of corner exits have walls. It’s easier to overtake in Montreal than in Monaco and the weather can produce some surprises because it changes quickly. Races here tend to be very unpredictable.”

Formula1.com

Sergio Perez not a 'reckless' F1 driver insists Force India

Sergio Perez is not a "reckless" driver, his Force India team insists, after Formula 1 rival Daniil Kvyat accused him of a "desperate" move in the Monaco Grand Prix.

Perez had been charging up the field on fresh tyres in the closing stages, when he collided with Kvyat after diving down the inside at Rascasse in an attempt to take ninth.

The incident forced Kvyat out of the race and Perez dropped down the order to eventually be classified 13th.

Kvyat was furious and the stewards handed Perez a 10-second time penalty, which did not cost him anything as he was last of the finishers.

Although Force India was disappointed its run of points finishes came to an end, it fully backed Perez's attempt to take the place.

"He pushes hard but he's not reckless," explained Force India COO Otmar Szafnauer. "He usually makes the moves stick.

"He overtook [Lance] Stroll, [Jolyon] Palmer, [Stoffel] Vandoorne, and tried on Kvyat.

"He probably overtook more than anyone [in this race], three of the four successfully."

Asked specifically about the Kvyat incident, Szafnauer reckoned that the incident was triggered by the Toro Rosso driver leaving too much room down the inside.

He said: "I thought the FIA recently said, 'Let them race.' Did they not? That's the new edict.

"Well, that, to me, was a racing incident. The door was open and then closed. It ruined Checo's race too, that's punishment enough - I don't know why Toro Rosso would want anything else.

"Yeah, it ruined Kvyat's race, but you don't leave the door that wide open. You take Rascasse like you should, take a tight line like everyone else does, and it doesn't happen.

"Do the fans want to see that kind of stuff? I think so. I'd hope so."

Monaco GP - Race - Force India Quotes

Ocon was unlikely to get into the points after starting towards the back, and his race was further hampered by an unlucky puncture at Turn 1. Perez meanwhile seemed destined for a 16th consecutive points finish but damage to the front wing of his VJM10 sustained at the start meant a lengthy pit stop. Despite a warning from his engineers to cool the engine, the Mexican seemed determined to grab what he could round the street circuit and managed to get past Vandoorne into Turn 1. A similarly ambitious move a few laps later on Kvyat at Rascasse proved his undoing however, with the collision effectively scuppering both men's races.

Esteban Ocon, 12th
“It has been a difficult day and a tough weekend overall. Things just didn’t work out for us in the race, which is a shame because we had strong pace and should have finished in the points. I was fighting with Felipe [Massa] in the early part of the race and we managed to undercut him during the pit stops, but then I picked up a puncture – probably from debris – and had to make an extra pit stop. That really compromised my race. So there was some bad luck, but I want to focus on the positives. The car felt good in clean air and the team made all the right decisions. We were just missing the luck today.”

Sergio Perez, 13th
“It’s disappointing to come away from here with no points. Our race was compromised on the first lap, when I made contact with Sainz and damaged my front wing. We had to stop early and ended up in traffic, and it was always going to be difficult to recover to the points. We had a lot of pace in the car, but overtaking is always a challenge, even when you are much faster than the cars in front. After the Safety Car, with the field bunched up, I was on fresh tyres and all the cars ahead were struggling. I had a big opportunity to make up a few positions, but in Monaco there is no way to overtake without taking risks. I wasn’t any more aggressive than when I passed Palmer, Vandoorne or Stroll earlier in the race, but with Daniil [Kvyat] he didn’t give me enough space and we touched. It wasn’t a big hit but it was enough to ruin both our races. Even though I missed out on points, I am proud of my race because I gave everything I could. I feel really sorry for my team because we deserved more from this weekend and our string of good results is over, but we can take a lot of positives from today and build on them for the rest of the season.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“A day of unrealised potential on both sides of the garage. Sergio’s contact with Sainz on lap one proved very costly with the early pit stop to change the nose. For Esteban, it was always going to be difficult to battle through from P15 on the grid, but the race was coming to us until he picked up a puncture. It cost Esteban a handful of points and that was a real shame. So it was one of those days when things didn’t go our way – as can often be the case in Monaco. We will dust ourselves down and look to come back strongly in Montreal in two weeks’ time.”

Formula1.com

Monaco GP - Qualifying - Force India Quotes

The Force India mechanics worked hard to get Ocon out for qualifying after his collision with the barriers in FP3. Unfortunately, he didn't have enough running to challenge and exited in Q1. Perez had a better day, making Q3 and qualifying seventh. After finishing on the podium here last year, he will be hopeful of scoring more good points and keeping his run of top-ten finishes going.

Sergio Perez, 7th, 1:13.329
“I’m very happy with our result today. I think we got the maximum we could from the session. Every lap in qualifying is crucial here and you need to be on the pace from your first lap to get a good result. We made the right calls to avoid the traffic and we found the rhythm straight away, which is why I only had to complete one run in Q1. I am very proud of what we achieved as a team but it’s a shame Esteban couldn’t be in Q3 with me. Everything can happen in Monaco so I am not going to make any predictions for tomorrow. The race will be long and you cannot have any lapse in concentration – any mistake here means you can get a puncture or crash out of the race, so we need to focus on the job and try to bring home another good result.”

Esteban Ocon, 16th, 1:14.101
“I’m feeling disappointed because we had a quick car today and the pace to make Q3 – just as Sergio did. But that’s what happens when you crash before qualifying. The team did a great job to repair my car and both sides of the garage helped get me out in time for Q1 – it shows our great team spirit and I have to say a big thank you to everybody. However, after an accident the car never feels quite the same and you lose the feeling you had. I had to adjust quickly and I couldn’t find the pace we showed in practice. Considering the circumstances, P16 was the maximum. Going into the race I still believe we can fight for points. Anything can happen here and it’s a long race.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“Grid position is always vital in Monaco and seeing Sergio up in P7 means we are well placed to score points tomorrow. The team worked hard yesterday to improve the car and the changes ahead of final practice certainly paid off. It was a tough day for Esteban with the crash in final practice, but the crew did a fantastic job to get the car repaired and out in time for qualifying. It was always going to be difficult for Esteban to jump back in the car and be totally comfortable so we didn’t maximise our potential today. It’s a long race tomorrow and both drivers love this track so we will be aiming to get both cars home in the points once again.”

Formula1.com