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.”

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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.”

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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.”

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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

British GP - Force India Preview

Sergio Perez
“I’m feeling really upbeat after our strong weekend in Austria. We recovered well from some difficult practice sessions and picked up some important points. I think we can do the same in Silverstone. I love the track and I think the car will perform well there. We have some small updates coming on the aero side and I feel very comfortable in this car. I really can’t wait to experience the high-speed corners at Silverstone with all the downforce we have on these 2017 cars.
“I always say that Silverstone is one of the best tracks of the year. There are great corners and it’s a real pleasure to drive in a Formula One car. The fans also make the British Grand Prix special. We always see a huge crowd – even on Friday – and the atmosphere always feels special. It’s one of those races where the drivers’ parade gives you huge energy when you see the support from the fans.”

Esteban Ocon
“I am very excited about racing in my first British Grand Prix. Silverstone has a special atmosphere: there is always a big crowd, everyone is coming here to show their support and enjoy one of the best races of the season and it’s really exciting.
“I can’t wait for the race. The track is great: I like the combination of fast corners, especially Maggots and Becketts. Those corners are awesome. In this year’s cars they’re going to be especially crazy. I have some very good memories from racing Formula 3 in Silverstone. I was on pole, got three podiums and won a race: it was the first event of the season and the results gave me so much confidence for the rest of the championship.
“Our team headquarters are just across the road, so the race feels extra special for us. It’s a home race and the chance to see everyone who works at the factory all year. It’s also where we have our Fan Zone at the Woodlands Campsite. I am looking forward to going there on Saturday night and meeting everyone who has come to support us.”

Tom McCullough, Chief Race Engineer
"Our home Grand Prix in Silverstone is one of the toughest tests for a Formula One car. The current layout is a mix of low, medium and very high speed corners, meaning you have to find the ideal compromise when it comes to set up. We expect the current generation of cars to be very impressive in the high-speed sections, a challenge the drivers will love: this means, however, that we need to produce a car that gives them the confidence required to attack those corners. The high tyre degradation will open up the strategic options, and the weather is always unpredictable – even when dry, the high winds on this exposed track mean conditions can change between a lap and the other, which is an added challenge. At 5.89km, this is one of the longest circuits of the year – we only have 52 laps, quite the opposite from Austria."

Vijay Mallya, Team Principal
“After a double points finish in Austria, we now head to our local race at Silverstone. The VJM10 is working well and we expect to build on our recent competitive form with another strong showing this weekend. Our performance in Austria showed the strength in depth of our team in all areas. Despite chasing the car balance through practice, we got on top of our issues in time for qualifying – when it mattered. Even when we don’t have the perfect weekend, we can be well inside the top ten picking up important points.
“The British Grand Prix is always a huge weekend for this team. Our factory couldn’t be any closer to the circuit and it’s one of our busiest events of the year. Once again we have created a Force India stage and fan zone in the Woodlands campsite so that our drivers can visit during the weekend and meet the fans. For me, this is a highlight of the week because it’s these dedicated supporters who create such a special atmosphere at Silverstone. It’s important that we involve the fans as much as possible and I’m glad that we can give something back to them again this year.”

Formula1.com

Austria GP - Race - Force India Quotes

After intra-team incidents at the previous two races, Force India must have breathed a sigh of relief at getting both cars home cleanly. Perez finished ahead of his team mate, who drove well to hold off a charging Massa on fresher tyres. A double points finish is a good return to form ahead of the team's home race next weekend.

Sergio Perez, 7th
“Finishing seventh is a great result for the team and a nice reward considering how difficult this weekend has been for us. We struggled in practice, but come qualifying and the race we were quite strong and we came home with some good points. It wasn’t the easiest of races for me. I made a good start, but I lost places to both Esteban and Lewis [Hamilton] at turn one. Thankfully I was able to pass them both at turn three and regain my starting position. I suffered from a lot of front graining in my first stint, but after the pit stop I was able to settle down into a rhythm, even though it wasn’t enough to attack Grosjean. We had very similar pace to him so we couldn’t get any closer. It has been a difficult weekend, but we recovered well and we can be happy with the outcome. Now our focus shifts to Silverstone. I really can’t wait to try these 2017 cars on the fastest track on the calendar.”

Esteban Ocon, 8th
“I’m pleased with the points we’ve scored today and it was a strong race for the team. I made a good start and gained a couple of positions, but I was behind Lewis [Hamilton] going into turn three and got squeezed, which meant I had to ease off and lost momentum. Then it was just a case of keeping my head down and being consistent with my laptimes. I don’t think we went the right way with the strategy because I lost a lot of time to Massa after my stop and we just need to review things and see if we could have done anything differently. It’s not been the easiest of weekends for us, but we’ve worked hard and it’s satisfying to come away with good points even when things are not going perfectly. I think we showed our strength as a team.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“Another double points finish is just what we needed today. The team did an excellent job to convert our strong qualifying into solid points and we leave Austria feeling pretty satisfied with our performance. It was a relatively calm race from the pit wall with no significant dramas. Both drivers kept out of trouble on lap one and as the race settled down we were able to hold station with competitive race pace. These ten points consolidate our fourth place in the championship as we approach the midway point of the season.”

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Austria GP - Qualifying - Force India Quotes

Ocon felt he might have done better were it not for the late yellow flags, but regardless of that it was another strong showing from the Silverstone team, with both cars inside the top ten. Perez will move up to seventh on the grid thanks to Hamilton’s penalty and another double-points finish could well be on the cards.

Sergio Perez - 8th, 1:05.605
“I’m feeling happy with our performance today. I think it was one of my best qualifying sessions when you consider how difficult things have been leading up to the session. I was P17 in second practice and P18 in final practice this morning. So to end qualifying in eighth place shows the mega steps we have taken to improve the car. It’s been a huge effort by the whole team. I was a bit unlucky with the yellow flag at the end of the session because there was an opportunity to improve my time. I’m really looking forward to this race and I think we will be even stronger in race conditions. We need to keep an eye on the weather, but wet or dry I think we can have a great race tomorrow.”

Esteban Ocon - 9th, 1:05.674
“I am not completely happy with ninth place, given all that happened in the session, but it’s still a good starting position. My fastest lap in Q3 was set on used tyres, but the yellow flags meant I couldn’t finish my attempt on fresh tyres. I feel I could have been a couple of places higher up, but it’s the way racing goes sometimes – you have to take your chances when you can. We need to review if there is something we could have done better, but I am still feeling positive about the weekend. We improved a lot since yesterday and the feeling I have with the car is much better now than it was during practice. I enjoy this track and it’s a place where you can overtake so hopefully we can bring home some good points tomorrow.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“After a challenging Friday, it’s great to see both cars qualify well this afternoon. It sets us up nicely for a strong race tomorrow knowing that we have a competitive car with solid race pace. The team has done an incredible job to get on top of the balance issues we had during yesterday’s practice sessions and the car is now much more to the drivers’ liking. The yellow flag towards the end of qualifying meant we didn’t necessarily maximise the session with either car, but we can’t be disappointed with the outcome of today’s qualifying session.”

Formula1.com 

Austria GP - Practice - Force India Quotes

Ocon was quick all day, and ended on the fringes of the top 10. Perez had to surrender his car to Celis in FP1, and was then able to make little impact in FP2.

Sergio Perez - FP2: 1:07.509, P17
“It’s been a difficult day trying to get up to speed this afternoon. I’ve struggled with the balance of the car – mainly the corner entry stability and with the rear – so we’ve been trying to solve those issues. We need to understand where we can improve tonight and pick up some speed tomorrow to make sure was can be in the fight for Q3.”

Esteban Ocon - FP1: 1:07.511, P10; FP2: 1:06.849, P11
“A solid day for me with no real issues or problems. We found some more speed with every run, but there is still room for improvement and I know there is more to come tomorrow – from me, from the car; in all areas really. It’s going to be a really tight grid tomorrow with small margins so the work we do tonight will be very important.”

Alfonso Celis - FP1: 1:09.280; P18
“It was a shame to have the electrical problem with the car because it really limited what we could achieve – just 15 laps, mainly of aero work. The issue ended the session early and we didn’t get to start the performance work. It’s a track that I love so I’m disappointed we couldn’t do more laps.”

Formula1.com

Austria GP - Force India Preview

Sergio Perez
“I’m still feeling disappointed about the lost opportunity in Baku, but at the same time I’m feeling positive about the performance level we showed. We were fighting at the front and the car was working well. It’s just a shame my race ended early because there was a great chance of finishing on the podium. I think we can be just as competitive in Austria and pick up some good points this weekend.
“The circuit in Austria is in a really beautiful place. You feel like you are racing with nature. When you look at a map of the track it looks like a simple lap, but it’s not as easy as you think. There are lots of elevation changes and some difficult sections. It’s really important to carry the speed through the corners so you don’t lose time down the long straights. The final corner is off-camber so it’s easy to run wide and lose time there.”

Esteban Ocon
“Austria is a track I know much better than the previous ones on which we have raced so far this season. I drove there a lot in the junior categories and I tested for Sahara Force India there in 2015. It’s a great place and the altitude makes it a challenge for the engine and the brakes.
“The circuit doesn’t have many corners, but it’s still difficult to get a perfect lap: in particular, the last two corners are the most enjoyable in the track because they’re quite tricky and even a small mistake can ruin a good lap right at the end. There is no real secret to finding time around the lap; you just have to get the details right and make it stick all weekend.
“The town of Spielberg is very quiet and it’s nice to go there at this busy moment in the season. In general, it’s a very relaxing place to be and there are a lot of opportunities to do sports, enjoy the fresh air and all the country can offer.”

Vijay Mallya, team principal
“I can’t remember a Grand Prix creating such a buzz and so many talking points as the race we saw in Baku. We certainly played our part in a dramatic race and it’s still frustrating to ponder what might have been had things played out differently. Since Baku we’ve had some conversations internally and reminded our drivers that the team must always come first. It’s never acceptable for team mates to make contact with each other and it certainly cost us points in Baku.
“However, the events of Azerbaijan won’t change our approach. Our drivers can race freely and I’m sure they have learned some valuable lessons. We’ve given them a competitive car and I know they are mature enough to work together for the good of the team.
“This weekend in Austria will be another opportunity to show the speed of the VJM10 and continue our run of points finishes. We need to keep up our momentum and scoring points consistently to maintain our fourth place in the championship. There is no room for complacency and we will keep pushing and trying to maximise every race.”

Formula1.com