Force India makes first move towards new name

The Force India Formula 1 team has taken the first steps towards a possible rebranding as Force One.

Documents reveal that on May 31 and June 6 new limited companies were registered in the UK under the names Force One Grand Prix, Force One Racing, Force One Team, Force One Technologies, Force One Hospitality and Force One Brand.

The only director listed is Dr Thiruvannamalai Laskshimi Kanthan, an accountant and financial consultant and long time associate of Dr Vijay Mallya.

He is also a director of Force India and three other companies connected with it.

Mallya is planning a change to a more generic name in an attempt to open up options for sponsorship, given that it has proved hard to raise funds in India.

Force India chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer admitted that aside from Mallya's own Kingfisher brand there had only been "a couple, but not very many" Indian sponsors and that the loss of the nation's grand prix after 2013 had effectively stalled interest.

A new name would also potentially make it easier to sell a shareholding in the team.
The new companies have essentially been created to protect the team's preferred new name while it awaits approval, and none of them will actually become the team as such.

The company that currently uses the Force India Formula 1 Team name and holds all commercial rights - and which was previously known as Jordan, Midland and Spyker - would have to change to Force One.

An application for a chassis name change would have to be made to the FIA, and approved by the F1 Commission.

Traditionally Bernie Ecclestone did not make it easy for teams to change names without good reason, but Szafnauer is optimistic.

"I think there's a spirit of cooperation in that regard," he said.

"We voted for Brawn to go to Mercedes, and I would hope they would reciprocate."
Szafnauer said it was important to get the name right for the long term.

"You don't change your name every other year, so we've got to think about it deeply and philosophically, and make sure if we do it, it's going to be there for a long time," he said.

"The one reason Bernie didn't like name changes all the time is that a team over time gets an identity and everyone knows who it is.

"We've been Force India for 10 years now. If we do change, it should last another 10 years or 20 years so people get to know what it is.

"If we choose a name that's closely linked to Force India but not Force India that might even be an easier step forward."

The FORCE name was previously associated with the F1 team also known as Beatrice Haas in 1985 and '86, but whose official title was Formula One Race Car Engineering.

When owner Carl Haas pulled out of F1 it was bought by Ecclestone, who still owns it, although it has not actually traded since then.

Autosport.com

Force India reserve Celis gets first F1 practice outings of 2017

The Force India Formula 1 team will use its reserve driver Alfonso Celis Jr in Friday practice for the first time this season at the Austrian and Hungarian Grands Prix.

Celis had six outings in official F1 weekend sessions during 2016, but his only on-track appearances for the team so far this year have been in winter and post-Bahrain GP testing.

Force India has announced that Sergio Perez will step aside for Celis on Friday morning at the Red Bull Ring next week, with Esteban Ocon doing so at the Hungaroring in a month's time.

Celis's main campaign this year is a third season in what is now called World Series Formula V8 3.5.

Driving for Fortec this season, the 20-year-old Mexican claimed his first FV8 win at Spa in May and is fighting for the title with Lotus duo Pietro Fittipaldi and Rene Binder.

Celis sits third in the standings after last weekend's Aragon round, 16 points off leader Fittipaldi.

Autosport.com

Crash cost Force India potential victory - Perez

Force India had a realistic shot at a first ever Formula One victory until the moment Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez collided, according to the Mexican.

Perez was running third in the early stages of the Grand Prix - behind only Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel - but ended up under pressure from Williams' Felipe Massa and team mate Esteban Ocon at the restart.

Massa stole through, but as Ocon tried to follow the Brazilian he ended up squeezing Perez into the wall - and, with nowhere to go, the pair made contact, effectively scuppering both men's races. With Massa retiring, and Hamilton and Vettel dropping back due to penalties, Perez believes Force India could have inherited the driving seat in Baku in much the same way as Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo eventually did.

"It's a shame to retire from a race like this because I think we would have been in a position to win the race," Perez said.

"The team did a great job all weekend and deserved much more than to have a race ruined in these circumstances.

"I couldn't do anything to avoid the accident and it's particularly bad for our team because it ruined the races of both of us on a day in which other teams have scored big points. We will need to discuss the situation within the team and make sure something like this does not happen again.

"As drivers, we are just part of a much bigger team and we have a responsibility to do our best to bring home a good result, especially considering what would have been possible today. Before the incident, it had been a great race and a strong weekend..."
Ocon, who went on to finish sixth, admitted the crash had proved costly - and like Perez said the team will need to review the incident before moving on.

"It's hard to sum up your feelings after such a busy race," he reflected. "I'm happy with our performance and also disappointed not to realise the potential we had today.

"It's never nice to have an incident with your team mate and it was costly for both of us – we both lost a lot of time and positions. Fortunately I could recover, overtake a lot of cars and score some important points for the team.

"We will discuss things internally and see what happened, but when you are racing close to each other at a restart these things can happen sometimes. Sergio was very deep into turn one at the restart and I went on his inside.

"He squeezed me between turns one and two, and I was on the inside going into turn two. He was trying to resist on the outside of the corner and we touched. We need to review it together and understand more. For sure it should not happen again in the future."

Formula1.com

Baku GP - Race - Force India Quotes

Perez made up three places at the start, and kept Vettel ahead very honest at the many restarts. Running third and fifth with Massa's Williams in between, Ocon saw an opportunity to challenge for position. Unfortunately, Massa managed to squeeze past and instead it was the team mates who collided, with Perez coming off worse after hitting the wall. The Mexican would retire, but helped by the red flag period and the swift work of his mechanics, Ocon continued and came home in the points. The Force India garage might be a difficult place to be tonight for the second race in a row. 

Esteban Ocon, 6th
“It’s hard to sum up your feelings after such a busy race. I’m happy with our performance and also disappointed not to realise the potential we had today. It’s never nice to have an incident with your teammate and it was costly for both of us – we both lost a lot of time and positions. Fortunately I could recover, overtake a lot of cars and score some important points for the team. We will discuss things internally and see what happened, but when you are racing close to each other at a restart these things can happen sometimes. Sergio was very deep into turn one at the restart and I went on his inside. He squeezed me between turns one and two, and I was on the inside going into turn two. He was trying to resist on the outside of the corner and we touched. We need to review it together and understand more. For sure it should not happen again in the future.”

Sergio Perez, DNF
 “It’s a shame to retire from a race like this because I think we would have been in a position to win the race. The team did a great job all weekend and deserved much more than to have a race ruined in these circumstances. I couldn’t do anything to avoid the accident and it’s particularly bad for our team because it ruined the races of both of us on a day in which other teams have scored big points. We will need to discuss the situation within the team and make sure something like this does not happen again. As drivers, we are just part of a much bigger team and we have a responsibility to do our best to bring home a good result, especially considering what would have been possible today. Before the incident, it had been a great race and a strong weekend. My start was very good and I was fighting for second place on merit, but we were really unlucky at the Safety Car restart. Even after the crash, the team did a great job to get the car back together and allow me to resume the race. Even then, the seat broke and the team retired the car on safety grounds. It shows how unlucky this weekend turned out to be.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“It was a race of what ifs and what might have been. We had a quick car today and had a good chance of finishing on the podium – perhaps with both cars. Sadly we lost out during a safety car restart, which led to Esteban and Sergio making contact on the exit of turn two. Both cars were damaged and it effectively ended Sergio’s afternoon. Esteban was able to stage an excellent recovery drive and was up in third place with just 13 laps to go. In the end the speed of the Ferraris and Mercedes proved too strong and he dropped to sixth, but it was important to pick up useful points. It was a shame to miss out on a podium from a race that saw so much drama, but that’s the nature of motor racing. We will discuss what happened internally and come back stronger in Austria in a couple of weeks’ time.”

Formula1.com

Baku GP - Qualifying - Force India Quotes

Perez must have fond memories of this track after his stellar drive here last year, and he put yesterday's crash firmly behind him by making Q3 with ease. Despite having his first flying run scuppered by red flags, he pulled out a great lap when it mattered to grab a spot on the third row. Ocon lines up just behind in a career-best seventh and with memories of their fierce intra-team battle two weeks ago still fresh in the mind, the start could be an interesting watch for the Force India pit wall. 

Sergio Perez, 6th, 1:42.111 
“I’m quite pleased with sixth place. The red flag in Q3 was not helpful because I had yet to set a competitive time and it meant I only had one chance to deliver right at the end. Normally we do an out lap, a preparation lap, and then push, but there just wasn’t time. So it was not an ideal Q3, but I’m still happy with our performance. There are quick cars ahead of us and also behind us, so it’s going to be a very close battle tomorrow. It’s a street circuit so it will be important to stay out of trouble and react quickly as things happen in the race.”

Esteban Ocon, 7th, 1:42.186 
“It’s the best qualifying position in my career and I am very happy about how the session went. I made a tiny mistake on my fastest lap and that probably cost me a position, but as a team we have been improving every step of the way. Today was all about pushing to the limit: I brushed the wall three times, something I didn’t do yesterday, but I wanted to give everything today. We are in a strong position for tomorrow’s race and we know anything can happen here. It’s a tight track and very tricky to get right. A strong first lap will be crucial, but the most important thing will be to finish the race. If you get to the end here, you can score big points. Our pace is good and I am confident we can get a good result.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“Another excellent team performance, which sets us up nicely for a strong race tomorrow. The car has been quick since the start of practice and we’ve made steady progress through all of the sessions to give the drivers a well-balanced car. This track plays to our strengths and it’s satisfying to convert our speed into solid positions on the grid. It’s hard to know what sort of race we will get tomorrow, but it could be quite eventful. Whatever happens we will react quickly to optimise the strategy and hopefully bring home a bunch of points.”

Formula1.com

Baku GP - Friday practice - Force India

Ocon had a good day and was always in the top 10, but Perez blotted his copybook here for the second year in a row after smacking his VJM10 into the wall in Turn 8 when he used to much of the left-hand kerb. The team did an excellent job to repair significant damage in time for FP2, when he was again very quick, so tails remain up for tomorrow.

Sergio Perez - FP1: 1:45.398, P4; FP2: 1:44.306, P7
"First and foremost, I want to thank my mechanics and the whole team for fixing the car so quickly. They are some of the best guys in the pit lane and they showed exactly why. This morning was all about trying to find the limits, and I think we did – it was good it happened today rather than tomorrow. It was a bit of a messy day, not just with what happened in FP1 but also because of all the yellow and red flags breaking the flow of the sessions. I still think we are in a good position. Tonight we will need to work out the best set-up: I feel we have a good potential for the weekend, we just have to put it all together when it matters."

Esteban Ocon - FP1: 1:45.752, P7; FP2: 1:44.484, P9
"I'm pretty happy about today. We had good pace in the car and I felt quite comfortable right from the start. I feel we couldn't really show our speed because of all the yellow flags and the traffic I found on my quick laps, but it doesn't matter. The important days for this weekend are yet to come. It was my first time around this circuit, so the priority was to keep out of trouble: this is not an easy track to learn but I enjoy the challenge. It's a narrow circuit and it's very easy to brake a bit too late, which is why there were so many yellow flags."

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
"It was not the most straightforward of Fridays, with Sergio's unfortunate crash during the first practice session. The crew did a truly fantastic job to replace all the broken components and get the car out for the start of FP2, which allowed us to complete a full programme this afternoon. Aside from the incident, it was a productive day. We witnessed a lot of track evolution, which is normal for a temporary street circuit: together with the conservative range of tyre compounds, it meant a lot of our work was about understanding the tyres and getting them to work. The sessions had a lot of interruptions, with many yellow and red flags, which disrupted everyone's performance runs, so we chose to focus on high fuel running. We were also able to split some test items between the two cars. We have plenty to analyse tonight – the initial feeling is positive but there is always room for improvement. Our performance today was reasonable, but it is still too early to tell where we stand."

Formula1.com

Baku GP - Force India Preview

Sergio Perez
“There were a lot of things said after Montreal and lots of different opinions, but I’m pleased the team decided to let us race without team orders. I will always fight for the best result for the team and I’m proud of our race. There were discussions on the radio about switching positions with Esteban, but my pace was good and I was running close to Daniel [Ricciardo] for almost 50 laps. I knew my best chance to overtake was during the lapped traffic and I got very close, but we didn’t have the pace advantage to make the move.

“I feel positive after Montreal. The car was quick and we were competitive. It was always going to be one of our best circuits of the year, but we still had to deliver. It’s a good sign for Baku – another track with long straights and big braking zones. I always enjoy street tracks and the team has done a fantastic job to develop the car during the last few races. I think we will be in good shape this weekend too.

“The memories from last year’s race in Baku are still very strong. We had great pace and I loved the track layout. To recover from a gearbox penalty and still finish on the podium was a very special feeling. It was definitely one of my best weekends in Formula One. If we can find the sweet spot again this year I think we can fight for some big points.”

Esteban Ocon
“I really enjoyed my first experience of driving in Montreal. When I got out of the car it felt as though I had only been racing for 15 minutes because everything went by so quickly – that’s when you know you’re having fun! It was another weekend where the team did a fantastic job improving the cars. Every time we went out in practice and qualifying, we took a step forward and that’s been one of our strengths this year.

“It felt great to be in the battle for a podium and to see how competitive we are as a team. It makes me feel excited about going to Baku and what we can achieve there. It feels like we’ve got a really good understanding of how to get the most from this car. It’s another new track for me, but I’ll keep trying to learn as fast as possible and I’m sure I can get on the pace quickly. I’ve been playing some computer games to learn the track so I’ve done my homework.
“Baku is a great destination for Formula One. Street races always generate a special atmosphere and the city is really cool. I was able to explore a bit last year so I know my way around the place and I’ve walked the track, but I’ve yet to drive there.”

Tom McCullough, Chief Race Engineer
“At 6.003km, Baku is the second longest circuit of the year, making the race just 51 laps long. It’s also the first anti-clockwise track on which we run this season and another big test for the brakes, with plenty of big stops. We know much more about this street circuit than we did one year ago, when we came here for the very first time, so the learning curve won’t be as steep once we start practice on Friday. However, it is a new track for Esteban, so giving him track time will be a priority. Set-up wise, there are significant long straights which will require lower drag level wings. The majority of grip-limited corners are low speed so the car needs to be strong there. It can be very hot in Azerbaijan at this time of the year and we will need to prepare to handle those conditions, if required. Most importantly, we will need to set up a car in which our drivers can be confident: like in Monaco and Montreal, many of the corners are lined with walls so precision is an absolutely key element.”

Vijay Mallya, team principal
“There is a lot of optimism ahead of this weekend. Last year Baku turned out to be a good race for the team and we believe we can deliver another strong performance this year. The progress we’ve made with the VJM10 since the start of the season has been considerable and we have brought developments to the car at every race so far. All the hard work is paying off and I’m proud of our results.”

Formula1.com

Ocon/Perez will be 'a handful'

Force India expects its driver pairing will now be a "handful" to manage for the remainder of the 2017 Formula 1 season, given Esteban Ocon's recent form.

Ocon caused some headaches for the team in Canada when his rapid pace as he closed in on Perez for fourth place left the pitwall facing a team orders headache.

That situation prompted Force India to consider changing its approach for the rest of the year, and its deputy team principal Bob Fernley is predicting an increasingly intense fight between his drivers from now on.

"We were very clear on our choice of Esteban and we believe he had that potential," Fernley told Autosport.

"You don't have to go that far back to see his F3 days against Max Verstappen.

"He was more than a match for him, so one would expect him to be at that level.

"He hasn't disappointed. If anything he has overperformed, so in the second half of the season it is going to be quite a handful."

Fernley believes that Perez still holds a slight edge in pace, but acknowledges that Ocon has closed the gap - and will only become stronger when he starts competing at tracks he has raced in F1 before.

"There is still a little bit [of a gap]," said Fernley.

"I think you will see it tightening even more post-Silverstone, when Esteban effectively comes into his second year with those circuits.

"Then we will see another step up, and that is when we will have to be on our toes as a team."

When asked how good he believed Ocon could be, Fernley replied: "I think it is probably too early to make those assumptions.

"What he has done is remarkable and great, but he has to get through a whole season.

"Even in Canada he showed remarkable maturity in driving to the limit, but not having any incident with his team-mate.

"Whichever way you look at it, it was great viewing and that is the maturity we are looking for.

"We will probably get a better idea at the end of the season when he has done the full season against Checo [Perez]."

Autosport.com

Canadian GP team orders saga could prompt Force India change

Force India admits it may need to change its rules of engagement between Formula 1 drivers Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon, following its Canadian Grand Prix team orders controversy.

Perez and Ocon were chasing third-placed Daniel Ricciardo in the closing stages, amid radio talk about the pair trading places, with Ocon believing he was quicker and had a better chance of getting past the Red Bull.

The team did not go as far as ordering Perez to slow and let Ocon - on fresher tyres - through, and the pair were not only unable to pass Ricciardo but also overhauled by Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel inside the final five laps.

Deputy team principal Bob Fernley concedes Force India could learn from the situation, and that it may need to revise its approach for similar circumstances.

"There are positives and negatives with with happened," he told Autosport.

"And what it has done is highlight an issue we have - which is quite a compliment - that we have two incredibly quick drivers.

"So we maybe have to review our positions on how we do things in the future.




"It is a nice problem to have, and we should not let it take away from us what was still a fantastic result for the team."


Asked if he was not frustrated that the team had lost its best podium chance of 2017 so far, insead finishing fifth and sixth, Fernley said: "I am not really frustrated.

"I think we have just got to look at it.

"If we have to change the policy of how we work, that is a separate decision.

"We have always allowed the drivers to race. We should not have recriminations on that at the end of the day.

"From a fan point of view, you cannot have it both ways.

"You cannot complain when people make switches [between drivers] and say they want them to race, and when they race say you want it the other way around.

"So, our policy has been let them race and that is what we did."

Team principal Vijay Mallya tweeted "our policy of no team orders continues but I will specify guidelines to achieve best team result".

Fernley added Force India team would go through footage of the closing stages of its drivers' battle, in which Ocon felt Perez had been too tough with his defence.

"We will get the video and play it back to both of them and see what it is like," said Fernley.

"What we have are two drivers who are absolutely at the top of their game, and it is something we are now going to have to look at, about how we control that, to keep us on our toes."

Autosport.com

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