Hungarian GP - Force India Preview

Sergio Perez
“You always want to do well on the final race before the holidays. As a racing driver, you only remember your last race and you want to go into the break with some nice memories. It helps you have a better holiday if you score a good result.
 
“I enjoy the Hungaroring: it’s a circuit with a lot of corners that can catch you out and it’s a big challenge to get a clean lap together, especially in qualifying. The races, too, can get quite interesting. It’s a narrow and twisty track but it still offers some opportunities for overtaking. The key for a good race in Budapest is to have a car with plenty of down force but also that is not too hard on the tyres. It tends to be very hot there so it’s important to look after them.

“It’s been a very hectic first part of the season, especially with five races in the last six weeks, and I am looking forward to the break. I am going to spend it at home, with my family, without too much travel.”

Esteban Ocon
“I want to go on holiday on a high and I am happy the final race before the break is on one of my favourite tracks. Budapest is one of the races that I enjoy the most and it’s always a good weekend for me. The city is beautiful and there are a lot of fans there, but my highlight is the circuit itself. I fell in love with it the first time I drove on it.

“The track is quite narrow, but it’s still very fast. There are a lot of quick changes of direction and the corners come one after the other with no chance to catch a breath. That’s what I really like about it – you need to keep pushing all the time and make the most of the sequences of corners. You need to have a good rhythm there and if you make a mistake, you pay for it in the corners that follow.

“It will be nice to have a bit of time off after Budapest. I am looking forward to a nice holiday with my friends, but I am going to train hard as well. I am going back to my training camp in the Pyrenees so there will be a little bit of holiday and a lot of work!”

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German GP - Race - Force India Quotes

Ocon opted to start on the ultrasoft rubber and it paid off as he made up positions on the first lap. In the late chaos, he stayed out which propelled him into the top 10. Perez likewise kept his race clean to run solidly, despite one late spin in the wet conditions. Force India made the right strategy calls with respect to their midfield rivals, which enabled their third double points finish in a row.
 
Sergio Perez, 7th
“When you come away from such a crazy afternoon with some good points you have to be happy. The whole race was very busy and I was always in the middle of the pack fighting the cars around me. I had a mega first stint, but we were unlucky with the slow pit stop, which cost us a few seconds. Then, when the rain arrived, it was very tricky and each lap was a new adventure. I spun while I was lapping Leclerc – I don’t think he saw me and I just lost the rear end. To survive all these things and finish seventh is a good achievement. It’s just a shame I lost a position to Grosjean on the final lap, but we did all we could today.”

Esteban Ocon, 8th
“It’s a great result for us after yesterday’s disappointment. I made a good start and gained a few places in the opening laps, but besides that the first stint was pretty boring. It’s only after the pit stop, when it started raining, that Sergio and I truly made the difference. We gained a few positions on slicks under the rain and it was really good fun. I had to evaluate the situation lap by lap, based on how much rain I could see on my visor and picking my braking points accordingly, but we never really had any doubt about staying out. To get in the points after a tough Saturday is a great result: we stayed solid, we believed in our strategy and in the end it paid off.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Chief Operating Officer
“To come away from Germany with ten points represents a very good afternoon’s work. We rode our luck at times, but the drivers gave excellent feedback on the conditions and we made some brave decisions from the pit wall. A bit of rain always adds some drama and keeping the car on track on slicks was a real challenge this afternoon. To complete the race with only one pit stop for each car was definitely the right strategy and the result is vindication of that. It was very close with Grosjean catching us in the closing laps with a big tyre advantage and a strong Ferrari engine, and in the end we couldn’t hold him off. We worked hard for this result today and credit to the entire team for a well-executed race.”

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German GP - Qualifying quotes from Force India

A mixed bag for Force India. Ocon blamed a lack of time out on track for his exit in Q1, admitting that Hamilton's stricken Mercedes did not impede his lap. Perez had a better time of it, making it to Q3 before qualifying tenth. The Mexican will be looking for a third points finish in a row tomorrow.

Sergio Perez, 10th, 1:12.774
“I am happy with our performance today. I think the team did a strong job especially considering we lost FP3 to the rain. It wasn’t an easy session and I only just made it through to Q2. I had to make every lap count in every session. P10 is a good place to start the race, but I think the conditions will be much hotter tomorrow. So it will be a completely different game and tyre management will be very important. We can certainly aim for points and hopefully beat some of the cars ahead of us.”

Esteban Ocon, 16th, 1:13.720
“It’s not a great feeling going out in Q1 but I made a slight error in qualifying today, which cost me the opportunity to continue into Q2. I didn’t manage to get the right feeling with the car and we couldn’t set it up how I wanted. Today’s rain during FP3 really hurt me because I had already missed a session yesterday. There is nothing we could have done about it, but it meant we went into qualifying feeling a bit blind, with just one session of track time. I think Sergio showed what the car can do around here and I am confident our pace in the race is going to be strong. The battle in the midfield is going to be close, as always, but this is a good track for overtaking and I think we can push our way into the points.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Chief Operating Officer
“It’s been a challenging day with the mixed weather conditions limiting mileage, which particularly impacted on Esteban’s time in the car leading up to qualifying. With such a competitive midfield, every tenth of a second counts and Sergio did well to progress to Q3. Esteban was close to making Q2, but just missed out. The forecast suggests warmer conditions tomorrow so all the preparation work from Friday will be very relevant for the race. I think our race pace is a match for all of the midfield teams so I’m optimistic of some points tomorrow.”

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German GP - Practice quotes from Force India

Force India

Latifi stepped into the car for FP1 in place of Ocon, leaving the Frenchman making up for lost time in FP2. He ran a long programme and finished a credible tenth. Perez was P11 in both sessions, a position that come qualifying would garner free tyre choice. That position probably wouldn't displease the team given that tyre wear could be a crucial factor come race day.

Sergio Perez - FP1: 1:15.415, P11; FP2: 1:14.552, P11
“It’s been a positive day. We collected a lot of information and I’m happy with how things are going so far. The main conclusion I take from today is that the middle of the grid is very close once again and we will need to optimise everything to make Q3 tomorrow. I feel optimistic we can find some more performance tonight and the conditions could change for the weekend – we think it’s going to be a bit cooler and there is talk of some rain. There is definitely a good opportunity for us to go well this weekend and be competitive.”

Nicholas Latifi - FP1: 1:16.023, P17
“Overall I’m quite pleased with my second FP1 session. Already from the first lap I felt more comfortable with the car and the whole race team environment after my first experience in Montreal. I know the track well and it was a straightforward session with some aero test items and tyre work. I chipped away at the performance lap after lap and from a personal point of view I felt more at ease compared to Montreal and felt more competitive. Obviously I will build on this experience so that I’m ready for the next time I’m back in the car for an FP1 session later in the year. ”

Esteban Ocon - FP2: 1:14.508, P10
“Things went well this afternoon and I got up to speed quickly. The information from Nicholas and Sergio this morning was useful and it was a pretty normal session. The main challenge was completing a clean lap with all the traffic, but we have done most of our homework today to help us get ready for the weekend.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Chief Operating Officer
“As forecast it was a hot day as we worked through a busy programme of test items and tyre learning on all three tyre compounds. Nicholas had a clean FP1 session and continued to make progress as he settles into the team. Sergio did the majority of our set-up work and the car is behaving largely as expected. There is still some work to be done to understand the car behaviour at these high track temperatures and we need to keep an eye on the weather forecast for the weekend in case it cools down. Hockenheim is a track where overtaking is possible, but with the middle of the pack so closely matched it’s important that we maximise our qualifying session tomorrow. I think Q3 is achievable for both drivers.”

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German GP - Force India Preview

Esteban Ocon
“I feel ready for the final two races before the summer break. We have been finding performance as a team with strong results in the last few races and I want to have two good ones before the holidays.
“Hockenheim is one of the tracks I know the most. I have been driving there a lot in my career, first in F3 but also during my experience in DTM with Mercedes. It’s one of those historical tracks that are important for Formula One and there are always a lot of fans coming to see us with cards, messages and letters. It’s important to have a German Grand Prix and it’s always a special feeling racing there.


“I think the weekend can be a good one for us. The track should suit us because of the long straights and slow corners, so it’s a chance to score more points. I enjoy the circuit. It has good overtaking opportunities, especially the hairpin at the end of a long straight and the sharp left hander a bit later. The racing is usually quite close so hopefully we will have an entertaining race on Sunday.”

Sergio Perez
“Hockenheim is an amazing track in a country with so much racing history: it’s a race we really missed not having in the calendar last year. I remember the early years of my career, living and racing in Germany, and it’s always very enjoyable when I go back to visit. I really love German food too!
“Hockenheim is a track that gives you good overtaking opportunities, especially on the approach to the hairpin. You arrive there so fast and it’s a very big braking zone so it’s always a good place to have a go. It’s probably one of the best circuits for creating exciting racing.
“I was happy to rescue a point last weekend in Silverstone after a big recovery. The main focus for Germany is to have a clean weekend because if we maximise our performance we can be at the front of the midfield. There is a long way to go [11 races] and lots to play for. We are finding a bit more performance with each race and I still believe we can target fourth place in the championship.”

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Gasly penalty promotes Perez into points

Pierre Gasly thought he’d snatched the final point in Sunday’s British Grand Prix with a dramatic late pass on Sergio Perez’s Force India. But after reviewing the strong-armed way in which the Frenchman completed the overtake, the race stewards at Silverstone decided to hand the Toro Rosso driver a five-second time penalty – a decision that drops Gasly from 10th to 13th and means Force India end their home race with both cars in the points. 

 

The incident in question occurred at Turn 17 on the penultimate lap as Gasly attempted a move up the inside. The pair touched and Perez’s car lost some bodywork, before the Toro Rosso nosed ahead through the final corner.

Having reviewed video evidence and spoken to both drivers, the stewards determined that Gasly’s manoeuvres had been ‘generally reasonable’ and that he was attempting a ‘good racing pass’. However, they also said Perez had left him plenty of space and that the Mexican had been compromised and forced off track when Gasly touch the kerb and ran into the pink car.

For Perez, the incident - which also earned Galsy two points on his license - capped an eventful race in which he spun around violently at the start and dropped to the rear of the field.

 “I cannot be totally happy about today’s race,” he said. “The incident at the start compromised my race: I lost the rear end trying to avoid the incidents ahead, spun and suddenly I was at the back of the field. After that, our race was pretty strong. We had good pace and overtook a lot of cars. We made the most of the various safety cars and made it back into the points.

“With two laps to go, Gasly pushed me off track. I gave him enough space but that was not enough: we still made contact and I lost the place. I believe it was an unfair move. I’m pleased that the FIA took action after the race to penalise Gasly, which gave me back the final point.”

With team mate Esteban Ocon taking P7, Perez now trails the Frenchman by a single point in the drivers’ standings, with the duo 11th and 12th.

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Britsh GP, Race quotes, Force India

Perez spun at the start, tracking across the pit exit as the surprised Williams of Sirotkin was heading out. That compromised his afternoon, and he did well to work his way up into tenth before being forced wide and losing a piece of bodywork in a fight with Gasly late on. The Frenchman was penalised, which meant Perez did grab the last point on offer. Ocon by contrast kept surprisingly clear of all the race-long drama to finish solidly in the points.
 
Sergio Perez, 10th
“I cannot be totally happy about today’s race. The incident at the start compromised my race: I lost the rear end trying to avoid the incidents ahead, spun and suddenly I was at the back of the field. After that, our race was pretty strong. We had good pace and overtook a lot of cars. We made the most of the various safety cars and made it back into the points. With two laps to go, Gasly pushed me off track. I gave him enough space but that was not enough: we still made contact and I lost the place. I believe it was an unfair move. I’m pleased that the FIA took action after the race to penalise Gasly, which gave me back the final point. My focus now is to rest after the triple header. We will analyse these races and come back strong for Germany.”

Esteban Ocon, 7th
“I’m really happy with the result today. Seventh place feels good after such a difficult race. The safety car didn’t make things easy because the tyres were cold at the restarts and it was not easy to keep Fernando [Alonso] and Kevin [Magnussen] behind me in the last few laps. I feel very tired mentally because it was a really big fight until the end. It’s important that we scored more points to add to the good points we picked up in Austria last week. The car is getting better and we are racing well so I have to say ‘thank you’ to the team for all their hard work. We keep pushing and the results are coming.”

Vijay Mallya, Team Principal
“To score seven points in our home race feels good. Esteban didn’t put a wheel out of place today and showed excellent racecraft to hold off the cars behind which had a tyre advantage. Sergio dropped to last on lap one after spinning at the first corner, which proved costly. It’s the fifth time this year that one of our cars has suffered a first lap incident and it’s hurting us in the constructors’ championship. Despite the spin, Checo battled back, pushed hard, and overtook a lot of cars. To score the final point was a remarkable recovery drive.”

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