Force India threatens drivers with race bans

Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon have been threatened with race bans by their Force India Formula 1 team if they collide again after their Belgian Grand Prix clashes.

The duo came together twice at Spa, with their second collision on the run down to Eau Rouge breaking Ocon's front wing and giving Perez a puncture.

With Perez and Ocon having previously rowed in Canada, collided in Azerbaijan and then clashed again in Hungary, Force India chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer immediately said they would no longer be allowed to race each other.

Now he has declared the pair risk being dropped for a race as punishment for any further problems.

Mercedes adopted this policy last year after Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg collided at the Austrian GP.

Asked by Autosport if Force India would go as far as benching one of the drivers, Szafnauer said: "Yes. If it happens again, we have to figure it out.

"We would have to start thinking about who we would stick in the car."

The on-track clashes at Spa were followed by a war of words in the paddock, with Ocon telling television crews that Perez had risked both their lives and later tweeting that his team-mate had tried to "kill" him.

Perez took to social media to refute that allegation on Sunday night.

Szafnauer said he was particularly upset that Ocon and Perez had collided again as Force India had given them so many opportunities to keep fighting fairly.

"I am disappointed that they couldn't sort it out, and that the team has to now play big brother," he said.
 
"That is disappointing. But the team comes first and that is what we have to do."

Pushed on whether Force India bosses should have been harder with the pair when tensions flared earlier this year, Szafnauer replied: "If we would have done that initially, maybe this wouldn't have happened if we had rules of engagement.

"So you can say that we lost out on some points.

"But there is always that balance between the show and allowing them to race and pushing each other, and artificially controlling it, which we don't like to do."

Perez and Ocon were informed of the new policy in the post-race debrief in Belgium and a meeting will be held before next weekend's Italian GP to fully outline it.

"Before we lay down the law, we have to gather the information and openly discuss it with them," said Szafnauer.

"The rules of engagement will be changed. That is it.

"If there is no upside potential and only downside risk, then we hold station."

Ocon posted on Twitter on Monday morning that his post-race comments were when "upset" and "in the heat of the moment", adding that he appreciated Perez's apology.

Autosport.com 

Perez hits back at Ocon's angry outburst

Sergio Perez has hit back at Force India Formula 1 team-mate Esteban Ocon's claim that he "tried to kill" the Frenchman in the Belgian Grand Prix.

The Force India drivers came together twice on Sunday at Spa, both times between La Source and Eau Rouge - once on the opening lap and then again later in the race when their collision resulted in Perez suffering a puncture and Ocon damaging his front wing.

Speaking straight after the race, Ocon had told reporters Perez "risked my life in there, at 300km/h [186mph] down to Eau Rouge" and then took to Twitter to post: "...we were having a good race until Perez tried to kill me 2 times!"

Perez then posted a video on Twitter, firstly to repeat he was at fault for their opening-lap collision but also to make a rebuttal of Ocon's claim.

"I'm very disappointed to see his comments regarding that I wanted to kill him or whatsoever," said Perez.

"I'm not that type of guy, I'm not going to make a stupid comment.

"I just want to tell you the truth, and move on. I think we are all professional, I could have said many things in the past but that is not the type of guy that I am.

"I want to move on, and I will give the best driving ever in the next eight races for my team because they deserve that."

Perez added that he felt the second incident was needless, and that Ocon should have known contact was inevitable in that part of the track exiting the first corner.

"With the second incident I just kept my line. There was no room for two cars," he said.

"There was a wall and there was my car. We were always going to make contact.

"There was no need to do that, because he could have waited until after Eau Rouge and he could have made the move easily."

With its drivers having already collided on more than one occasion before this weekend, Force India says it will no longer let Perez and Ocon race each other when they are together on track.

Autosport.com 

Esteban Ocon: Force India team-mate Sergio Perez risked our lives

Esteban Ocon says Force India Formula 1 team-mate Sergio Perez risked both their lives in their Belgian Grand Prix collision.

The pair collided on the run to Eau Rouge twice in the Spa F1 race.

They escaped the first contact without damage, despite Ocon hitting both Perez and the support race pitwall, but the second incident gave Ocon front wing damage and Perez a puncture.

The clash follows discord over team orders in the Canadian GP in June and then a collision in the following Azerbaijan race, and has already prompted Force India to declare they will no longer be free to race each other.

Ocon said Perez's driving was "just too much" as he defended following their second pitstops.

"Risking our lives for nothing. He risked my life in there, at 300km/h [186mph] down to Eau Rouge," Ocon told Channel 4.

"That's the first thing, the second thing is we lost a lot of points.

"He's supposed to be a professional driver, today he didn't show it.

"He has not done that with any other team-mates, I don't know why he's doing it with me.
"I'm going to go and speak to him man to man and tell him the truth. He's going to have a child. I don't know if he wants to die or something.

"It's just ridiculous."

Asked if he thought Perez knew he was drawing alongside in their second clash, Ocon replied: "Of course he knew. I accept the first one. We were three-wide, maybe he didn't see me - even if I think he saw me."

Perez said he was aware Ocon was attacking him in the second incident but believed he would not try to pass until the Kemmel Straight.

"I knew he was there but I also knew there was no more space to go, so I just protected my line," said Perez.

"I thought he was obviously going to make the manoeuvre after Eau Rouge.

"I didn't do anything different that I wouldn't have done to any other drivers. No other driver would have done differently."

He did accept blame for their first-lap coming together, which he said happened as he tried to regain momentum following a poor getaway caused by picking the wrong start mode.

"He probably feels I did it on purpose, probably that's why on the second one he came into contact," said Perez.

"The first one was totally my fault, I didn't see him. I apologise for that one.

"The second one, he was too optimistic and there was no need to touch there."

Perez acknowledged their relationship had been poor since the Baku tangle that cost both a podium shot.

"We have to look back, remember Baku," he added. "There he put me in the wall.

"I'm not saying I did it because of that, but tension started back then.

"It's the first time I've had this in my career and hopefully we can sort it out and start scoring good points for the team."

Autosport.com 

Force India to stop Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon racing after Spa

Force India's Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon will not be allowed to race together in the future after they collided again in Formula 1's Belgian Grand Prix, says Otmar Szafnauer.

Perez appeared to squeeze Ocon towards the wall on the run down to Eau Rouge on lap 30 of 44, with the pair making contact that broke Ocon's front wing and punctured Perez's right-rear tyre before the Mexican retired late on.

The incident comes after the pair collided in Baku earlier this year, with both cars damaged.
Force India said at the time that both were responsible and that they would continue to let them race but after their collision at Spa, chief operating officer Szafnauer said that would change.

"I only saw what you saw [on TV], but it looked like Sergio squeezed Esteban into the wall and came out the loser of that scrap," Szafnauer told Sky Sports.

"In the future they'll never have that opportunity again. We've let them race up until now.

"If they can't do it in a manner which is good for the team then they won't be racing anymore.

"They shouldn't be coming together. We've given them the latitude to race and I've always said that.

"We've told them if it happens again, if a Baku type incident happens again, then we'll be calling the race from the pit wall in the future.
 
"If we stay fourth it will cost us nothing, but it's definitely cost us points."

The contact was the Perez and Ocon's second of the race after Ocon was forced hard into the wall on the run to Eau Rouge by his team-mate, who was himself squeezed by the Renault of Nico Hulkenberg.

The final collision occurred shortly after Ocon complained that Force India had pitted Perez before him despite the former having track position.

The team said it was because Perez had a penalty, which he was given for leaving the track and gaining an advantage after a pass on Romain Grosjean, but to "stick with him, you have fresher tyres".

When it was put to him that fans want to see racing, Szafnauer agreed but insisted team-mates simply shouldn't be making contact.

"For sure, which is why we let them race," he said. "But once it gets to the point of safety margins and crashing into each other we've got to take it into our own hands."

Both Ocon and Perez recovered to the pits, with Ocon finishing the race ninth but Perez being called into the pits to retire the car with two laps to go.

Autosport.com

Belgium GP - Race - Force India Quotes

The Force India drivers have had quite a bit of recent history of squabbling for the same piece of asphalt, and so it proved again at Spa where Perez and Ocon touched not once but twice. The second incident left Ocon with front wing damage and ultimately resulted in Perez's retirement. This was after the Mexican had been handed a five-second time penalty for an overtake on Grosjean that he couldn't make stick within track limits. No doubt some strong words will be said behind closed doors tonight as Force India have once again left points out on track...

Esteban Ocon, 9th
“On lap one there was a very close moment with my teammate going into Eau Rouge. I can accept this because it was the start of the race and we were three wide, even though I got squeezed into the wall. The second contact with Sergio was too much. He squeezed me towards the wall again, made contact with my front wing, and risked both our races for no reason. It has cost the team points and it’s difficult for me to understand why he was so aggressive. I will take the time to speak to him alone and share my point of view. It’s a shame because we were in a strong position with a competitive car and we should have scored even more points from this race.”


Sergio Perez, DNF
“I am very disappointed with how the race went, especially because this was a track on which we should have scored a lot of points. Two clashes with Esteban unfortunately took away our chances and ruined the race for the team. I apologise for the incident at the start, which was totally my fault. I didn’t select the start mode and I was down on power going down the hill. I was battling with Nico [Hulkenberg] and I thought I had a good margin on all the others. I moved to the right without checking my mirrors and didn’t see Esteban was there. In the second case, I think he was a bit too optimistic because there was just no room to make a move. I was covering my line and I expected him to attack after Eau Rouge – he had the whole straight to overtake me. I think we both misjudged the situation and we ruined the race for the team. After that, my car was too damaged to drive. It was a very particular situation and we have to review the incident. There’s very little to say, it was not my best race today. We need to talk about what happened and then move forward as a team to avoid losing more points.”

Dr Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director
“I have been very happy with our overall performance during the 2017 season with both drivers scoring points for the team and racing freely. However, as much as I support competitive racing, the repeated incidents between both our cars are now becoming very concerning. Under these circumstances I have no choice but to implement a policy of team orders in the interest of safety and to protect the team’s position in the constructors’ championship.”


Otmar Szafnauer, Chief Operating Officer
“It wasn't the result we wanted and we left behind a lot of points after a collision between our drivers. This is what you get when you have two very competitive drivers who are fairly equal in performance in a decent car. It has happened to others in the past and it is happening to us now. However, we cannot afford to see this in the future, so we will ensure the team controls what happens on the track. We gave our drivers the chance to sort it out by themselves, but if they cannot do it, we will have to put some more rules in place and take the situation in our control. It's disappointing to lose so many points when we had the pace to finish well with both cars. Until the clash we had looked very competitive: the pace of the car is something we hold as a positive because we head to another speed track, Monza, next week.”

Formula1.com 

Belgium GP - Qyalifying Quotes - Force India

A solid day for Force India, with both cars qualifying in the top ten. Ocon had shaded his team mate in both Friday's sessions, with Perez repaying the favour in FP3 and qualifying. Whilst they might not be challenging the big three teams ahead, Hulkenberg in seventh will have a target mark on his back as the team - who have trimmed aero back for straight-line speed - look to extract maximum points in their bid to cement fourth place in the constructors' championship.

Sergio Perez, 8th, 1:45.244 
 “I am a bit disappointed with my lap in Q3. I was close to Raikkonen in sector one, but when he aborted his lap in sector two I ended up being too close to him. As a result, I lost of a lot of aerodynamic load and that cost me a couple of tenths. I believe we had the pace to be ahead of the Renault today, but I still think we are in a good position for tomorrow. Spa is a place where anything can happen so it will be important to stay out of trouble and take the opportunities that come our way. The first lap can be really messy: not just in turn one but also at Les Combes, when the pack bunches up again. I think we can be strong tomorrow and I really hope we can get the result that the team deserves.”

Esteban Ocon, 9th, 1:45.369
“I think a better result was possible today. From Q2 onwards I started to lose some grip and we need to analyse and understand what happened. I was three tenths faster on my Q2 lap compared to Q3 so we didn’t maximise things and I’m not totally satisfied. However, I feel confident about the race. The car is working well and we have a quick race car, especially in the first and final sectors. That will help us tomorrow. It’s a track that encourages good racing and I think there will be opportunities tomorrow and some close battles.”

Otmar Szarnauer, Chief Operating Officer
“We achieved the objective of getting both cars inside the top ten, which sets us up nicely for a strong race tomorrow. I don’t think our final laps in Q3 were optimal and there was a bit more potential in the car, but the important thing is that we are well placed to score good points. We’ve focussed on setting the car up to race well and hopefully that will pay dividends tomorrow. The forecast suggests we will have similar weather tomorrow with a low risk of rain so if we can make a clean start we have every chance to convert our speed into a solid result for both cars"

Formula1.com

Sergio Perez: 'Angry' Kevin Magnussen Spa practice move deliberate

Sergio Perez believes an "angry" Kevin Magnussen moved over on him on purpose during practice for Formula 1's Belgian Grand Prix, but the Haas driver denies the move was deliberate.

Perez had only just let Magnussen past when he tried to get back ahead exiting the Turn 8 downhill hairpin after Les Combes.

He had to back out of the pass, then started to pull alongside Magnussen on the run down to Pouhon before Magnussen moved to the left and forced Perez to slow down.

An irate Perez told his team over the radio that "Magnussen is so dirty, always", and raised the incident with FIA race director Charlie Whiting in the drivers' briefing.

Asked by Autosport if he thought Magnussen's move was intentional, Perez said: "Yes, he knew I was there because he had just overtaken me.

"I don't know what he was angry about but I just don't think it's the way to react.

"We've seen Kevin has reacted that way a couple of times already.

"It's not good, at the speeds we are doing you can cause a very bad incident.

"That's why I wanted to raise a point.
"Hopefully Charlie keeps it in his mind because tomorrow there could be an accident and it may be too late."

It is the second grand prix weekend in a row that Magnussen's driving has been criticised by a rival.

After the Hungarian GP, prior to the summer break, Nico Hulkenberg approached Magnussen in the media pen and called him "once again the most unsporting driver", which led Magnussen to reply: "suck my balls".

Asked by Autosport about the incident with Perez, Magnussen insisted it was not deliberate.

"I didn't know he was trying to get back again, as he'd just let me past," he explained.

"So I started warming up my tyres and he was close, but I hadn't seen him.
"It was not intentional."
Both Perez and Magnussen had a difficult Friday, finishing practice two 12th and 16th respectively.

Perez said his day was "compromised" by having to do "some aerodynamic test items" in the morning not related to the usual downforce evaluations specific to the Spa-Francorchamps circuit's unique layout.

Magnussen suffered a loose headrest in first practice and also had a problem in the afternoon when his drag-reduction system would not deactivate properly.

Like Daniel Ricciardo and Red Bull, Magnussen said Haas had tried an aggressive low-drag set-up that did not work and would be dropped for Saturday.

"It's never good to run something on Friday that you won't run on Saturday and Sunday but it's not a disaster," he said.

"Spa is always on the limit of whether to go low- or high-downforce.

"I think we need to go back to the high-downforce for tomorrow."

Autosport.com

Belgium GP - Friday practice, Force India Quotes

Ocon was able to get on it straight away, and said he took Eau Rouge flat on his first lap. Perez wasn’t so happy with his car in FP1, but small changes led to progress in FP2, and Force India look in reasonably strong form.

Esteban Ocon - FP1: 1:47.670, P8; FP2: 1:46.473, P8
“The day was reasonably clean and tidy and I managed to cover a lot of laps – even with the red flag and the rain shower in second practice. The feeling with the car is already pretty good and things look promising for a strong performance tomorrow. This track is very impressive in a Formula One car and, as we expected, I was able to take Eau Rouge flat on my first lap.”

Sergio Perez - FP1: 1:48.452, P14; FP2: 1:46.984, P12
“The morning session was compromised a little bit with a few small issues. We were changing a lot of things on the car so I didn’t do a huge amount of laps – not as many as we would have liked. The afternoon was better and I was beginning to find a good feeling with the car. The important thing is that we know where we need to work and the direction we need to take. So I’m feeling confident we will be in better shape tomorrow. As Esteban has shown, the pace of the car is quite competitive and we have a good opportunity to qualify well tomorrow.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Chief Operating Officer
“It has been a fairly typical Spa Friday with a red flag this morning and heavy rain this afternoon. We started the day with both our cars out on track nice and early to allow us to progress with the test programme we had planned. The red flag compromised things slightly and Sergio didn’t have the smoothest session with some downtime in the garage. In the afternoon we thought the rain was coming and so we prioritised our runs to ensure we collected the most important tyre data with the race in mind. We’re not expecting much more rain over the weekend, but in Spa you can never predict the weather with a huge amount of confidence. The drivers are generally happy with the car balance, but there are some areas we can improve overnight which will give us more performance heading into qualifying.”

Formula1.com 

Belgium GP - Force India Quotes

Sergio Perez
“I’m feeling fresh and relaxed after the summer break and really looking forward to getting back to racing. I had a very nice break with my family, but now I can’t wait to be back on track.
“Belgium is the one of the best circuits to experience an F1 car. I love the high-speed layout, the history of the place and you get to meet some very passionate fans there. It’s just a great weekend and there is also the question mark over the weather. It nearly always rains at least one of the days.
“Pouhon is one of my favourite corners of the year. It’s so quick and satisfying when you get it just right. The 2017 cars will feel extra special through this part of the lap, as well as through Eau Rouge.
“As we begin the second part of the season, I want to improve on what we have done so far. We have been competitive, but we also lost a few chances to score more points than we did. Hopefully we will make up for those lost points in the races to come.”

Esteban Ocon
“I had a great summer holiday in the south of Spain. My batteries are fully recharged and I’m looking forward to getting back in the car. It’s now a year for me as a Formula 1 driver and the time has gone by really quickly. So I’m no longer a rookie!
“Spa is where I made my debut last year. It’s a great track, but it’s not necessarily one of my favourites. There are some special corners, especially through sector two, which has a nice rhythm. It’s a circuit where you have to be totally at one with the car because you need to be really committed through the high-speed corners.
“Spa is usually a good track for racing because it’s easier to overtake there compared to some other tracks. There’s also the famous Spa weather which brings unpredictability. I don’t mind if it rains because it could bring some more opportunities our way.
“I think we can be competitive this weekend regardless of whether it’s dry or wet. The layout of the track should suit our car quite well. Everybody loves driving through Eau Rouge and it’s certainly the most famous part of the lap. In these cars it will be an amazing experience. Maybe the first lap of the race will be a bit of a challenge, but after that I think we should be able to take it easily flat.”

Tom McCullough, chief race engineer
"Spa is an iconic circuit and a great test for Formula One machinery, even more so this season. It’s the longest lap of the season with a mix of slow and quick corners, long straights and elevation changes: finding the right setup is always a challenge. There are some unique corners, like the Eau Rouge/Raidillon complex with its rapid compression and decompression, which will be asking a lot from the driver, the car and the tyres. There are also many long and fast corners putting big loads through the tyres: it will be important to understand how the compounds on offer, the three softest of the range, work in these conditions. Usually, races in Spa are very entertaining: there are many overtaking opportunities, mistakes are easily punished and the weather can play a big part. It often rains and the extended nature of the circuit means you could be driving on a completely soaked track in one sector and on bone dry tarmac in another. Choosing the right strategy and being ready to adapt to the changing circumstances is crucial."

Vijay Mallya, team principal
“Spa is always a special weekend for Formula 1. It’s one of the greatest circuits in the world and a marvellous venue to appreciate the best drivers in the fastest cars. It’s been a happy hunting ground for this team too and I’d like to think we have a good chance of adding some more memories this weekend.
“We’re over the half-way point of the season now and feeling upbeat about the remaining nine races. Along with Spa, there are some other tracks coming up that should allow us to show the speed of the VJM10. We are pushing hard with the development of this car and there are some further steps we will introduce over the next few events.
“Our consistency has been our strength this year. We’ve scored points in ten of the 11 races so far and had double points finishes in nine of those races. I’m proud of the team for this achievement and it shows that all our hard work is paying off. We’ve still got our sights on the podium for this year and if the opportunity arises I believe we are ready to take it.”

Formula1.com

Esteban Ocon Q&A: Out-working Perez key to beating him

Esteban Ocon beat Max Verstappen to the 2014 Euro F3 crown and followed it up by winning the GP3 title in 2015 - but even with such pedigree, he has proved something of a sensation in his first full season in F1. Having racked up more points finishes over the first 11 races of 2017 than any driver outside the top three in the championship, we sat down with the Frenchman to discuss his growing reputation, his relationship with Force India team mate Sergio Perez - and why he’ll never forget where he came from…

Q: Esteban, for many you are the sensation of the season with a score of 45 points and P8 in the standings. Did you ever envision that you would make such a splash in the first half of the season?

Esteban Ocon: Am I really? Wow! But the reality is more sober: you cannot plan success! We respect the targets that we set at the start of the season – which means scoring points at every race. And that is pretty much what I am doing!
Q: So there is a good portion of self-confidence on your side, being thrown into a team that expects results. That was not really the case with Manor…

EO: I have to work very hard! I have a lot less experience than Sergio (Perez) so I have to catch up on so many details that come naturally to him. Before and after each race I am mostly in the factory for simulator work. I think that is what makes a big difference.
Q: How much more time are you putting in right now than your team mate?

EO: I don’t want to say a number – so let’s put it this way: a lot more!
Q: From 11 races you’ve finished 10 times in the points – only in Monaco did you fail to score. What were the best moments of those ten races?

EO: My personal best race was Canada. There I was feeling the best. But a great memory was also Barcelona. When the guys climbed the fence and were shouting at us – that was very special. In that moment finishing in P4 and P5 was just like a 1-2 finish!
Q: We still remember the Baku race where you took out team mate Sergio Perez. He later said that he could have won the race – and you ended his points streak of 15 races. How intense was the conversation afterwards?

EO: We ended his 15-race scoring streak! We! I went to the factory right afterwards and the team said that it was a race incident and that we both made mistakes. Of course that shouldn’t happen – but a race on such a track is close to a state of emergency. We have been told that we should be more careful in the future as it was not only his fault or only my fault. End of story.
Q: Do you think you’ve been a rather big surprise to him?

EO: I hope! I am not here to stay behind him all the time. I want to push – very hard.
Q: When looking back at the start of your F1 career it could read: one man’s joy is another man’s sorrow. Last year in Spa you inherited Rio Haryanto’s seat at Manor due to his financial situation. How else would your F1 career have started without that situation?

EO: To be honest: I have never thought about it! Never! I probably would have finished the DTM season with the hope of entering F1 in 2017. But it probably would not have been with Force India. My guess is that it would have been tough to find a cockpit as Manor stopped at the end of 2016. Gee, I don’t even want to think about it!
Q: Have you ever talked to Rio?

EO: No. I don’t really know him.
Q: But his misfortune was to your benefit…

EO: Oh, it’s never nice having to think about something like that!
Q: But you used your chance. And that should make things easier.

EO: Thank you for saying that. Yes I hope I used my chance well!
Q: There is another youngster who raised eyebrows this season: Lance Stroll. Both of you seem to be earmarked for success in F1, but your paths to the top seem very divergent. He was backed by his wealthy father, while you and your family lived in a caravan for years because your parents sold their house to finance your racing. Will we see a sequel of the ‘Hamilton/Rosberg: who is hungrier for success’-rivalry in the future?

EO: Ha, to be honest: I hope so! Lance is a great guy and I hope that he will succeed in the future... behind me, though! (Laughs) But yes, without my racing success – that the pieces of the puzzle fell into the right places – I probably would now be working as a mechanic or have another simple job. The McDonalds example [Ocon said he’d be flipping burgers if Toto Wolff hadn’t stepped in to help his career] was just a joke but it went viral worldwide – but being a mechanic would have been the biggest likelihood. So yes: I am hungry. I know where I come from and I know of all the sacrifices my parents have put in to make my career possible. Probably this is a similarity to Lewis!
Q: You have worked very hard from a young age and you knew that if at any stage you failed to deliver you could put the whole family in difficulty. If you look back now, how did you manage having that huge responsibility resting on such young shoulders?

EO: I only can say if I had not have succeeded it would have been terrible. I had big, big pressure from a very young age. I was not a normal kid! I didn’t have a kid life! Probably you could say that I went straight from being a toddler to an adult life. Sure that is a bit exaggerated – but when you are so young you feel that way. I understood the facts of life from very early on. It was a hard time – but now it is time for me to enjoy! (Laughs)
Q: When looking at you it is hard to believe that such a slim person can race these 2017 F1 cars that all the drivers say demand another level of physical fitness. Is it all a matter of will?

EO: No, it is training – believe it or not. If you put me up against somebody who is twice as big as I am I promise you he is not stronger! I wish it was more a matter of will - then I would make the front row and podium all the time! (Laughs)
Q: The Budapest race means you will have completed one full F1 season in terms of the number of races you’ve started. That must have made you extra keen to perform well…

EO: Do you know what my dad told me before I flew over to Budapest? He didn’t say anything about one full season, he just said ‘Be careful on Sunday because everybody wants to do well before the holidays. This race will stick longer in people’s heads’. I agreed! [Ocon finished P9].

Formula1.com 

Hungarian GP - Race - Force India Quotes

Perez got the better start of the two Force Indias, making up five places to grab P8 despite contact with Ocon. That was where he finished, lacking the pace to chase down Sainz in front but comfortably ahead of his team mate. Ocon looked to be heading for P10 before Vandoorne's costly pit stop promoted him a place to ninth. Force India go into the summer break with nine double points finishes from 11 races - and a solid grid on fourth in the constructors' championship.

Sergio Perez, 8th
“I’m very pleased to come away with eighth place today. It hasn’t been an easy weekend in terms of my feeling with the car, so to turn things around in the race and pick up some points is a good recovery. I made a very good start, positioned my car well and that was very important for the final result. There was a bit of contact with my teammate, which damaged my front wing, but fortunately it didn’t change the balance of my car. It wasn’t the busiest race for me because I spent most of the afternoon behind Sainz and Alonso, but we couldn’t make our way through during the pit stop window due to a slow stop. Overall it’s been a very strong first half of the season and we can go into the holidays feeling pleased with the job we have done.”

Esteban Ocon, 9th
“It was a pretty messy start and that compromised my race. Sergio made contact with me in turn one, which caused some damage to my floor, but I was able to continue even though I lost some performance. In the end, we got another double points finish for the team, which is great considering how difficult the weekend has been leading up to the race. The rest of the race was very clean and we were able to resist a lot of pressure from Stoffel [Vandoorne], so I am happy with the end result. We kept our main rivals behind us today and it means we can go on holiday feeling happy. I’ve scored nearly 50 points in the first part of the season and we’ve got a healthy margin over the teams behind us. Now we can recharge our batteries and come back ready to score even more points in the second half of the year.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“A competitive Sunday with both cars scoring important points. It edges us over the 100 points mark, which is a good way to head into the summer break. We knew we had solid race pace and we made the most of an aggressive first lap, which brought both Sergio and Esteban up into the top ten. From there it was a routine afternoon with both cars executing one-stop strategies. It’s a satisfying outcome because we knew our race pace was better than our qualifying times. It means we’ve scored points in ten of the eleven races so far this year and had double points finishes in nine of those races. It’s a credit to the team for the excellent job everybody has done in the first half of the year.”

Formula1.com

Hungarian GP - Qualifying - Force India Quotes

A double points finish in Silverstone might prove hard to replicate after both Force Indias exited in Q2. Ocon does move up a place due to Hulkenberg's grid penalty though and with free tyre choice he is in the better position of the two to bring home points. Perez starts two places behind his team mate.

Esteban Ocon, 12th, 1:18.495 
“We were hoping to be higher up today, but it’s not our strongest track and we were just missing the pace to make the top ten. I still have a good feeling in the car and our race pace will be more competitive. It looks as though I will gain a place because of the grid penalty for Nico [Hulkenberg] and I still believe a strong points finish is achievable tomorrow.”

Sergio Perez, 14th, 1:18.639 
“It was my most difficult qualifying session of the year. I haven’t yet managed to feel comfortable with the front end of the car: we made a lot of changes from yesterday, even between third practice and qualifying, but we couldn’t solve the issues. In Q2, my first lap was pretty poor and that threw my reference points for the second attempt. In the end, I couldn’t put together a good enough lap and we didn’t’ maximise our potential. We are starting 14th and it’s not ideal on a track where overtaking is really tough, but I hope tomorrow we can be strong. The strategy options are quite limited, but if we can make a good start, we can fight for points.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“We’ve been on the fringes of the top ten, but ultimately Q3 was just out of reach today. It’s not a track that plays to our strengths so we’ve just got to make the most of the race tomorrow and take the opportunities that arise. The speed of the car has looked more competitive during the long runs so we remain optimistic that we can be in the fight for some points. It’s a difficult track for overtaking and strategy options are fairly limited so a strong opening lap is going to be especially important tomorrow.”

ForceIndia.com
 

Hungarian GP - Practice - Force India Quotes

Ocon said he quickly made up the time he lost when Celis ran his car in FP1, but Perez admitted that he wasn’t happy with the balance of his VJM10. The race pace looked good, however, so the focus overnight will be in maintaining that while improving single-lap pace for qualifying, which is always crucial here.

Sergio Perez - FP1: 1:20.574, P12; FP2: 1:20.266, P12
“Our long run pace looks promising, but I think there’s still a lot we can find in terms of performance. The track improved a lot between the morning and the afternoon sessions, but it was still very windy and it made things quite difficult. It’s very hard to overtake here so there’s a big emphasis on qualifying tomorrow. I haven’t been totally comfortable with the balance of the car so far but I am confident we can get it together and be in a position to fight for the top ten.”

Esteban Ocon - FP2: 1:20.126, P11
“I was in the car this afternoon and I think I caught up with things pretty quickly. I found a nice rhythm straight away and I’ve ended the day feeling comfortable in the car. It’s clear we have some work to do tonight to find a bit more performance, but we’ve done a lot of the hard work and we know where we need to improve. They have made some changes to the kerbs this year, which impact on the character of this circuit a little bit. I preferred the old style kerbs, but it’s still an awesome track and I really enjoy driving here.”

Alfonso Celis - FP1: 1:21.602, P17
“It’s not been an easy session with the red flags coming at the worst possible times. When I finally got a chance to do a flying lap, I struggled to get the tyres in the right temperature window. At the beginning of the session, I found the car to be a bit unbalanced and difficult to drive. The changes we made in the second part helped and gave me more confidence. It’s great to get back in the car after a couple of races because it allows me to really feel the way the car is improving. Even since Austria, the performance keeps getting better.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy team principal
“It’s been quite a disrupted Friday, with lots of yellow and red flags interfering with our work. We had a pretty comprehensive test programme, split between our two cars, and although we did manage to get through it, we didn’t collect as much data as we had hoped. Esteban and Sergio are reasonably happy with the car, but of course there is still plenty of work to do to improve our performance during both the low and high-fuel runs. The battle in the midfield will be very tight tomorrow: margins will be small and any gain or mistake can mean a big swing in positions.”

Formual1.com 
 

Hungarian GP - Preview - Force India Quotes

Sergio Perez
“This season has gone by so quickly. It only feels like yesterday we were racing in Melbourne and now we’re about to have the summer break. It’s been a satisfying first half of the year. I’m proud of the team and the work we have done to improve our car. I also feel I’m performing at my best and driving well. I have big hopes for the second half of the year and I feel we have the potential to get some very good results.
“I think we can be quick in Budapest. We have been competitive on every type of track this year so there’s nothing to worry about in Hungary. I like the twisty layout of the track – which reminds me of a street circuit – and when you find your rhythm it’s very enjoyable to drive there. Overtaking isn’t easy so you’ve got to deliver in qualifying or you know it’s going to be a tough race on Sunday. Track position is so important.
“I think everybody in the paddock is ready for a summer holiday. You always want a good result before you break up because it’s a long wait until you get back in the car. For whatever reason the Hungaroring hasn’t been kind to me for the last few years so it’s time to put that right.”

Esteban Ocon
“I love Budapest and the Hungaroring. It’s my favourite track of the year. I had a special weekend there when I was racing in Formula Three with two wins and a second place, and a double podium in GP3. It’s just a track that’s very satisfying to drive. When you get into the rhythm it feels great because you can really lean on the car and attack the kerbs. It’s a circuit that suits me as a driver and my driving style.
“I’m looking forward to the break and the chance to recharge my batteries. It’s been such a busy season and I’m ready to take a few weeks to catch my breath. I have to say I’m very happy with how things have gone since I joined the team. I feel stronger with every race and I think there is even more potential in the second half of the year. My objective is still to try and get a podium, but the priority is to keep picking up the points in every race – that’s what we need as a team. We just need to keep being consistent.”

Tom McCullough, Chief Race Engineer
"The final race before the summer break takes us to Budapest. The Hungaroring is one of the shortest circuits of the year, at 4.381km, and a high percentage of this short lap is spent cornering. Low and medium speed corners dominate this grip-limited circuit. The main straight is quite short in comparison to other circuits and the layout doesn’t promote overtaking – qualifying well and getting a good start are crucial. We travel to Hungary at the end of July, which means the weather can be very hot: track temperatures can reach above 50C, making it a thermally difficult circuit for the tyres and a challenge for brake cooling."

Vijay Mallya, Team Principal
“Silverstone was another solid weekend for the team. Both cars finished in the points for the eighth time this season. The developments we introduced delivered what we expected and the car continues to improve with each race. As I said before, this consistency is our strength and we won’t become complacent. This is only the half-way point in the season and there is a lot of hard work ahead of us. We will keep pushing, keep bringing new parts to the cars and keep the pressure on the teams we are racing against.
“Budapest should be another competitive track for us. Esteban tells me that it’s his favourite track of the year because he loves the chicanes. It’s never been a circuit where we’ve had much luck in recent years so hopefully things will change this year. We will be running Alfonso Celis in the car during free practice on Friday and we have two promising youngsters testing with us in the days after the race with Nikita Mazepin and Lucas Auer in the car. After that, there’s a well-earned rest for the entire team. We will do our best to sign off the first half of the year with a strong result.”

Formula1.com 
 

British GP - Race - Force India Quotes

Ocon got a better start than his team mate, and that turned out to be where Perez's race was decided. With Ocon unable to chase down and challenge Hulkenberg ahead, Perez was clearly the quicker driver, but the Mexican couldn't find a way past the Frenchman. They both lost out to Ricciardo in the latter stages, but brought both cars home in the points. Perhaps more importantly for the team, given their recent history of on track tussles, the pair also kept the fight fair and clean throughout.

Esteban Ocon, 8th
“I had a brilliant start – it felt like four wheel drive and I moved up a couple of positions, but I lost out to Hulkenberg at the end of the first lap. After that, I had a good battle with my team mate for most of the afternoon and the team let us race – just like Canada. Sergio was fast and giving me pressure, but I was able to stay ahead. It’s very satisfying to see us score points again with both cars. Our consistency is our strength this year – on all tracks we are there with good speed and scoring points. We need to keep this up in the second half of the year.”

Sergio Perez, 9th
“It’s been a difficult race and I have a feeling we didn’t get to demonstrate our true pace. We should have finished higher, but in the end we still bring home points with both cars. I had a poor start and that compromised the rest of the afternoon, because I couldn’t recover from it. Silverstone is one of the most difficult tracks on which to overtake, and even though I spent all my race within DRS range of Esteban, I never had a real opportunity to pass him. Being so close to the car in front damaged my tyres and cost me lots of downforce so there was nothing I could do. You can look back at the race and think of things that could have been done differently, but it’s always easy to say this after the race. As we get to the half-way point in the season, I feel very positive about our performance. We have been doing really well as a team and I hope we can get back to our real level in the next race and after the break.”

Vijay Mallya, Team Principal & Managing Director
“It’s very satisfying to see both our cars finish inside the points at our home race. We’ve added six important points to our tally and strengthened our fourth place in the championship. It was a straightforward race from our perspective with Esteban getting the jump on Checo at the start. From there it was line astern to the flag with both drivers following similar one-stop strategies. Keeping up this consistency is important and, as we reach the half-way point of the season, I’m feeling very proud of what we have achieved from the first ten races. I have equally high hopes for the rest of the season as we continue to develop the VJM10.”

Formula1.com 

British GP - Qualifying Quotes - Force India

Looking to capitalise on the grid penalties handed out to Bottas and Ricciardo, Force India once again had both drivers in the mix in Q3. They couldn't quite chase down Verstappen ahead, and will be disappointed to lose a place to Hulkenberg. Perez won the intra-team battle for the seventh race in a row. 

Sergio Perez, 7th, 1:28.902 
“It was a very difficult qualifying session and it was important to be on track at the right time, especially during Q1 the wet conditions. I was disappointed we didn’t finish one place higher and when the gap is so small you know you had the chance to be ahead. My final lap could have been better because I lost time running over the kerbs in the final corner so there was room to improve. On the other hand, we are still starting in a great place tomorrow. We have a strong car and if the weather conditions are similar there could be the opportunity to finish even higher up. We will keep our heads down and try to deliver the perfect race.”

Esteban Ocon, 8th, 1:29.074 
“It’s been a really tough qualifying session, so I am happy to finish in eighth place. We decided to have a very late pit stop in Q1 to put slicks on. It was a calculated risk and we only took the decision at the final corner. I had one lap to get the time and I got blocked by Ericsson, but I still managed to improve my time even though it was very much on the limit. In Q2 I had my brakes on fire and during my second run I lost all radio contact with the team. I was there, driving alone, and I had to look out for the pit board like in the old times. I’ll be seventh on the grid tomorrow, which is not a bad place to start, especially considering everything that happened during this session. The conditions can be very unpredictable, like today, and if the rain comes anything can happen. We have been strong today and I am confident it can be the same tomorrow.”

Vijay Mallya, Team Principal & Managing Director
“We are happy with the outcome of today’s qualifying session. With the grid penalty for Bottas, it means both cars move up a position so that we will line up in sixth and seventh places for tomorrow’s race. Both drivers did a good job in the damp conditions of Q1 and delivered tidy laps when it mattered in Q2 and Q3. Our race pace should be competitive tomorrow and we have the potential to pick up good points in our home race.”

Formula1.com 

British GP - Friday Practice - Force India Quotes

Both drivers concentrated on honing the new aero set-up, and just getting used to how much downforce they could carry through the sweeping corners.

Sergio Perez - FP1: 1:31.297, P13; FP2: 1:30.624, P13
“It's been a positive day for us, despite the windy conditions that added a bit of difficulty. We have a good understanding of what the car is doing and of what we can improve for both qualifying and the race. Driving the 2017 cars on this track is impressive. The amount of downforce you carry in the high-speed corners is incredible. Of all the tracks we have raced this season, this is probably the one on which I have experienced the biggest difference compared to last year. All the reference points you have built up in the past change and this can put you at a disadvantage: it took me a bit of time to get used to the amounts of grip we have, but I am feeling comfortable now.”

Esteban Ocon - FP1: 1:31.210, P12; FP2: 1:30.383, P10
“It's been a solid Friday overall. Our pace was promising from the start of practie and we kept improving every time we went out. We didn't make any mistake on a day of tricky conditions and I generally felt the car was pretty good. This is not an easy track on which to drive - it's fast and demanding, but also very enjoyable to drive. We have work ahead of us and we'll need to wait until tomorrow to see where we stand, but I think we have a strong base.
"Something that really struck me on this track is the performance of the cars: they are so fast and the cornering speeds are impressive. You really feel it in your neck through the fast corners - I think I'll need a really good massage tonight!”

Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director
“It has been a pretty straightforward Friday with a lot of work to get through. We have been able to evaluate the new parts we brought here and made progress with the car set-up. Both drivers are reasonably happy about the balance of the car but there is obviously still more performance we can find. We expect the battle in the midfield to be extremely tight and it will be crucial to maximise what we can extract from our qualifying performance. The weather forecast for the next few days keeps changing, so we will need to ensure we adapt to the conditions quickly.”

Formula1.com

Force India brings major update for Silverstone

Force India will bring its biggest update of the 2017 Formula 1 season to this weekend's British Grand Prix, according to its technical director Andrew Green.

The team's first major upgrade of the season was introduced at the Spanish GP in May, where Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon finished fourth and fifth - Force India's best result of 2017 so far.

It has scored with both cars in seven of the year's nine GPs so far, and holds fourth in the constructors' standings with a 49-point margin over nearest challenger Williams.

For its home event at Silverstone, where team principal Vijay Mallya will make his first appearance at a race in 2017, Force India is planning significant improvements for the VJM10.

Its technical director Andrew Green said: "We've got a suite of things coming for Silverstone, including a new front wing.

"There are other bits as well, mainly the front end.

"It's one of our biggest [updates], if not the biggest, we have done so far this season."
Green confirmed that the Silverstone package was larger than the upgrade brought for Barcelona, and added: "It'll be incremental from there and then there will be another big update around Singapore time.

"That is just coming through the windtunnel now, it's going into full-size now."

He said Force India is finding performance steps on the new generation of F1 cars "every week" but admitted it will soon have to start thinking about allocating development resources to its 2018 machine.

"It's going to start to become a challenge when we have to allocate resource to next year's car," Green said.

"The two cars, this year's and next, are aligned. From a concept perspective, everything we learn on this car transfers straight to next year's car.

"In that respect, we'll keep on bringing parts to the track. They will become less frequent and less complex parts but we will be bringing parts.
 
"A lot [of the decision] will be looking over our shoulder and seeing how far away fifth place is and whether we can focus more on next year."

Autosport.com