Mexican GP - Practice Quotes, Force India

Latifi didn’t stick to the script – in for Ocon in FP1, he went quicker than his illustrious team mate. In the afternoon it was normal service resumed, with Perez shading Ocon by one place and three tenths in front of his adoring fans. Force India look on the cusp of the top 10 – two cars into Q3 will be the aim for Saturday.


Sergio Perez - FP1: 1:19.124, P11; FP2: 1:18.167, P10
“Friday was a day of learning and we’ve come away with good information. This morning we were a bit surprised to see how the tyres were performing and they will have a big influence on the race result. If you understand them, you will find a big advantage. Qualifying well is important here, but I think even more important is to have strong race pace and that is where we are focussing our energy tonight.”

Nicholas Latifi - FP1: 1:19.078, P10
“It was a good session for me. I was happy to be back in the car after missing out last week in Austin [due to the adverse weather]. It was a pretty straightforward session, testing set-ups and helping the team learn about the tyres. The conditions were quite tricky today and I experienced the lowest grip and the most sliding I’ve ever had in a Formula One car. The altitude reduces the downforce and you really feel it, but it was quite fun. Each time I drive the car I want to make a step forward in performance and I think today was one of my better FP1 performances.”

Esteban Ocon - FP2: 1:18.485, P11
“I did my best to get up to speed quickly, but we didn’t have many laps on the hypersoft tyres. The long runs went to plan and we learned about the tyres, but I think everybody discovered that managing them on Sunday is going to be a big challenge. It’s the same for everybody and it should be entertaining for the fans.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal & CEO
“As always here in Mexico, we had very low grip at the start of the day, with a dirty track and the drivers getting used to the reduced downforce the car generates at this altitude. Nicholas did an excellent job this morning, helping us complete our test programme. We ran some test items on the car and he gave us good feedback. The tyres are proving to be a challenge with a lot of graining, but we expect that to improve as the weekend progresses. There is still plenty of work to do with the car, but overall it was not a bad first day of action.”

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Szafnauer eyeing up ‘virtual fourth’ for Force India

Having only been eligible to score points since Belgium this year, Racing Point Force India - to give them their full title - will be going after McLaren’s sixth place in the constructors’ standings in the last three races of 2018. But Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer has his sights set on a virtual target for his reborn team as well…


Force India entered administration during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend and underwent a change of ownership in the summer, with a Lawrence Stroll-led consortium buying the assets. From Spa onwards, the team was deemed a new entry and so had to start from zero constructors’ championship points, but a series of strong races from both Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez has already put the team within 11 points of sixth-placed McLaren following the United States Grand Prix. A great performance, for sure – but one that leaves a slightly bitter taste in the mouth of the Force India team boss.

“I think the probability of us finishing ahead of McLaren is more than 50 per cent,” said Szafnauer after the race at the Circuit of The Americas. “I’d say that’s the limit.
“It’s always frustrating to know that 59 points were taken away, but it is what it is. We move forward and start focusing on what we have for the remaining races and seeing how many points we can score. Hopefully we’ll have three strong races, which I think we can do, and score a plethora of points and finish sixth.

“My other hope is that, with those plethora of points, the virtual finish will be fourth. That would just feel nice anyway.”

As it stands, Force India’s current total combined with the 59 points scored before Belgium adds up to 106, the exact same amount as Renault in fourth place. Renault’s total was boosted by Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz finishing sixth and seventh respectively in the US, but Szafnauer was also unhappy about a five-second time penalty given to Sainz for running wide at Turn 1 when overtaking the two Force Indias.

“What was that about?! That penalty is too lenient in a track-position race when it’s hard to overtake … If he knows he’s getting that penalty, he just pushes his tyres more and your race is different.

“Once you know how much he has gained, then you can work out what an appropriate penalty would be. For us, had he not overtaken us at the start in a track position race he would never have overtaken us. So now, even if you are two-tenths or three-tenths quicker, you never gain those two-tenths or three-tenths if you are behind that car.

“So then if you extrapolate that out over pitting on lap 20, times three-tenths or whatever the difference is, it might be a way [of working out a penalty].”

Renault’s race pace also caught Szafnauer’s eye, with Hulkenberg 12 seconds ahead of Ocon at the chequered flag, before Force India's Frenchman was excluded for a fuel flow infringement.

“Their long-run pace looked [strong] when they were pushing. They were a bit quicker. We’ll have to analyse it and figure it out, because over a lap we’re faster than them, and usually our strength is in race trim. But the significant difference here was we never got any long running, so we couldn’t adjust via data capture.”

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Mexican GP - Force India Preview

Sergio Perez
“Racing in Mexico is the highlight of the season for me. The excitement each time we go back there is the same. When I see the busy grandstands, I feel very proud and the support from the people is fantastic. The energy of the crowd really motivates me and the drivers’ parade is always a very emotional moment.
“It’s an extremely busy weekend for everybody: me, my team, the sponsors, but it’s still the best week of the entire season. To have my family and friends around me helps make this race even more special. I really want to give everybody a strong result to celebrate on Sunday.
“The circuit is a big challenge. Because of the altitude, the track is slippery with low grip levels and it’s very easy to make a mistake or lose time. The long straight is usually your best chance for overtaking, but with these cars it’s never easy to pass.”

Esteban Ocon
“The Mexico weekend is good fun. It’s a busy race for the team, of course, and we have quite a few events with partners during the week, so we get to see a bit of the city as well. It’s Checo’s home race so the whole team is busy from the moment we land!
“The atmosphere when you get to the track is special. Mexicans love sport and the passion they show for Formula One is incredible. The best part is to drive in the stadium section when the grandstands are full. I think all the drivers enjoy the buzz and emotions you get from such a massive crowd.
“It’s a good track to drive, but it’s a tough one. You’re at very high altitude and this really affects the set-up – it’s difficult to find a good balance. The cars are set up with high-downforce, but it feels like low downforce. You lack grip and the car feels very slippery, especially at the start of the weekend, but you soon get used to it.”

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Ocon and Magnussen lose points after US Grand Prix disqualifications

Force India thought they’d scored a double points finish. Haas thought they’d achieved their best ever result on home soil. But both teams will leave Austin disappointed after each having a car disqualified over fuel use irregularities.

Esteban Ocon finished Sunday’s race in the United States in eighth position, one place ahead of Haas’s Kevin Magnussen. But shortly after the race, the stewards announced both drivers were being investigated for possible breaches of the regulations, with the duo ultimately being hit with the biggest possible penalties.

In Ocon’s case, the stewards, having studied telemetry data, found that his car had exceeded the fuel mass flow limit of 100kg/hr on the opening lap of the race. Magnussen, meanwhile, was found to have used more than the maximum 105kg of fuel allowed during the race.

The decisions mean that Haas have now had a car disqualified from two of the last five races, having lost Romain Grosjean’s sixth-place finish in Italy to a technical discrepancy. The team appealed that decision with the hearing set for November 1 – and the American team may well choose to appeal the stewards' decision in Austin, as may Force India.

For both teams the decisions are a blow to their hopes of overhauling rivals in the constructors’ standings. Even before the disqualification, Haas lost significant ground to Renault in the fight for fourth place, with the Anglo-French team picking up 14 points with sixth and seventh in Austin.

Force India, meanwhile, ironically only lose one point in their chase of McLaren for P6 in the standings, with Sergio Perez – who finished 10th – promoted to eighth in his team mate’s stead.

Haas are now 22 points behind Renault, Force India 11 points behind McLaren – but both their losses are Toro Rosso and Sauber’s gain. Brendon Hartley originally finished in P11, but is promoted to ninth, with Marcus Ericsson going to tenth, giving the duo their third and fifth points finishes of the season respectively.

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Texas GP - Race quotes , Force India

Force India had both cars solidly in the points until the first round of pit stops. A slow stop for Perez dropped him down the field, from where he did well to recover. The Mexican lost a place to a fresher shod Magnussen late on but kept hold of P10 to help Force India score what appeared to be their third double points finish in a row. Unfortunately, Ocon was later disqualified by the stewards for a fuel mass flow irregularity.

Sergio Perez, 8th
“I made a good start, managed to stay out of trouble and benefited from the chaos around me. We tried to extend the first stint but perhaps we stopped a bit too late. Our pit-stop wasn’t the best and I ended up in a lot of traffic, which caused me to lose out to Magnussen. I was able to overtake him in Turn 1 as he was leaving the pits, but he passed me on the back straight. I followed him for the rest of the race and although I got close, I ran out of laps to make a move. I don’t think we would have been able to challenge the Renaults today, but I’m disappointed we lost out to Magnussen.”

Esteban Ocon, DSQ (Originally finished 8th)
“It was a tough race this afternoon after a difficult first lap. I lost a few positions at the start because the cars behind me took some big risks. I decided to let them go because the risks were too big in my opinion. After that it was difficult to fight back because the cars we were racing [the Renaults] had already gotten ahead. After the pit stop, I had Kevin [Magnussen] behind me for the rest of the race. He was quick and it wasn’t easy keeping him behind. I’m pleased we still picked up some decent points, but we definitely need to review our weekend and see where we can improve for the races to come.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal & CEO
“Getting both cars home inside the points is an important result, but we certainly hoped to come away with a few more points today. We lost out against the Renaults on lap one and never managed to recover the lost ground. The strategy options were pretty limited with most drivers only stopping once and we had to settle for P8 and P10.”

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Ocon delighted after edging Hulkenberg for P6 in Austin

“When I crossed the line I felt like ‘wow there's not a lot left in there’.” That was Esteban Ocon’s assessment of his Austin qualifying heroics, and understandably so, after the Force India star finished just 0.070s ahead of Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg to finish ‘best of the rest' on Saturday.

Force India have enjoyed a positive run since changing ownership ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, securing 43 points after their tally was reset, and that form could well continue this weekend, with Ocon pushing his VJM11 challenger to its limits in qualifying.
Ocon certainly has a great chance to deliver a result, given the only cars in front of him are the Mercedes, the Ferraris and the Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo. And it was a morale-boosting personal achievement for the Frenchman, who could miss out on an F1 seat next season.

“I am really happy with our performance today. It’s awesome to be sixth on the grid – the best of the rest – but it was a really close session all the way through.

“In Q3, my lap was very strong and the car was working really well. Tomorrow the aim is to stay where we are and bring home the points. The race pace is a bit unknown because of the wet weather yesterday but I think we can be just as competitive tomorrow.

“It was definitely a good feeling, that last lap, the car was working really well and when I crossed the line I felt ‘wow there's not a lot left in there’. It was enough for P6 so today we are really happy.

“The only thing I can do is do my talking on track, that is what I try to do. My motivation is as high as it can be and I'm pushing hard.”

It was Renault’s Hulkenberg who was the unfortunate driver to miss out on P6, though the German is confident his team can take the fight to their midfield rivals in Sunday’s Grand Prix.

“I was happy with the laps I produced, and I think we got the most from the car,” said Hulkenberg. “Even in race pace, usually we look better than in qualifying.

“In qualifying it has been a bit tricky. The recent few qualifying sessions for me have not be so great so pleased to be back in the top ten for once.

“We want (a good result). I think it is possible, it’s not going to be easy. We have a lot of good cars around us. But I don’t think we need to hide.

"In Suzuka, which is a more difficult track for us, Carlos (Sainz) managed to get one point – that was very encouraging. I think, if anything, here should be better for us.”

Ocon and Hulkenberg will each have an eye on the race for P7 in the drivers’ championship, with the pair both in with a chance of finishing best of the rest. Hulkenberg is tied on 53 points with Force India’s Sergio Perez and Haas’ Kevin Magnussen, three ahead of McLaren’s Fernando Alonso and four ahead of Ocon in 11th.

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Texas GP - Qualifying quotes - Force India

Force India got both cars through to the top 10 shootout and Ocon impressed in winding up ‘best of the rest’ in P6. The Frenchman could do with a strong race result to send another poignant reminder of his talents to the rest of the pit lane. Perez, meanwhile, struggled in Q3 and wound up tenth.

Sergio Perez, 10th, 1:34.594
“Qualifying tenth is a disappointing result because we had the potential to achieve much more. My first attempt in Q1 was pretty good, but when I returned to the garage we inexplicably discovered a lot of damage to the right hand side of my car, on the floor and bargeboards. We tried to fix it in the time we had, but we couldn’t repair it completely. From that moment on my car behaved differently and it hurt the balance. I struggled quite a bit in Q2 and Q3. The car definitely had potential, as Esteban demonstrated, so it’s a shame not to get more from today. Our aim tomorrow is to make up some ground. We have a car that can do it so let’s see what opportunities come our way.”

Esteban Ocon, 6th, 1:34.145
“I am really happy with our performance today. It’s awesome to be sixth on the grid – the best of the rest – but it was a really close session all the way through. In Q3, my lap was very strong and the car was working really well. Tomorrow the aim is to stay where we are and bring home the points. The race pace is a bit unknown because of the wet weather yesterday but I think we can be just as competitive tomorrow.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal & CEO
“Our performance in qualifying confirmed that we are the fourth quickest team once again this weekend. Esteban delivered a clean and tidy lap in Q3 to end the day in sixth place. Checo picked up damage during the first run of Q1 which impacted the aero balance for the rest of the session. This hurt our overall qualifying result because he should have been up there with Esteban in Q3. Anyway, both cars in the top ten is still a good day and we are well placed to score good points tomorrow.”

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Texas GP - Practice , Force India Quotes

Force India sprung a surprise in a wet qualifying back in Belgium – and they might fancy their chances of doing likewise here if this rain sticks around. But they do need to show more pace than they managed today, with neither driver breaking into the top 10 in either session.

Sergio Perez – FP1: 1:51.459, P14; FP2: 1:54.963, P13
“We did a few runs today so that we can be prepared if conditions remain wet tomorrow. We didn’t appear to have the best pace on the intermediate tyres, but hopefully we can improve that overnight. It was very tricky out there, but also quite good fun at the same time. Wet weather always opens up opportunities and we will try our best to make the most of them tomorrow.”

Esteban Ocon - FP1: 1:51.655, P17; FP2: 1:55.348, P14
“It was a bit of a late call to be in the car today, but given the wet conditions, the team decided it was better for Nicholas to maximise his seat time in Abu Dhabi. We weren’t able to do a lot of laps today, but we went out to feel the conditions and to see if we could learn something. We decided to use only one set of tyres today [the intermediates] and we used them all the way through: that’s not ideal but we chose to save the other sets for qualifying. Other teams took a gamble and used more, so let’s see if this can bring us an advantage tomorrow. I don’t mind whether it’s dry or wet in qualifying. We can be competitive whatever the conditions, so let’s see what tomorrow has in store.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal & CEO
“As forecast, we had two wet sessions today so there wasn’t a lot of running. In the end, it was the same for everyone and we had to make the most of the conditions. We did quite a handful of laps in both sessions, trying to understand mainly the intermediate tyre. We elected to save our full allocation of wet tyres because there is still a high chance of rain tomorrow. We took the best from our inters in FP1, making our life a bit harder in FP2, but we still have a bit of work to do to ensure we get the most from those tyres tomorrow. Overall, the conditions meant we didn’t run much today, so we will need to be ready for whatever weather we get during qualifying.”

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Perez to race on with Force India in 2019

Force India have confirmed one half of their driver line-up for next year, with news that Sergio Perez is to stay on with the team for 2019…

The Mexican has been with Force India since 2014, having made his F1 debut with Sauber in 2011, and will contest his sixth full season with the Silverstone-based squad.
The identity of his team mate has yet to be revealed, but Lance Stroll – who has been replaced by George Russell at Williams – is expected to take the seat at the team now owned by a consortium headed by his father Lawrence.

“I’m pleased that Sergio will continue his journey with us in 2019,” said Force India Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer.

“Over the last five years, Sergio has confirmed his position as one of the most talented and 
consistent drivers on the Formula 1 grid.

“He gives us valuable stability going forward and is a huge asset to the team. As we begin an exciting new chapter in the life of this team, we are delighted that Sergio will race with us going forward.”

Perez, who currently sits seventh in the drivers’ championship and is the only driver outside the top three teams to stand on the podium in 2018, added: “I am very happy to finally announce my future and I’m really motivated for 2019.

“Force India has been my home since 2014 and has allowed me to grow as a driver and show my skills on track.

“We have achieved so much success in the last five seasons but I think the best is yet to come. The new investment the team is enjoying fills me with confidence and I am really excited about the future.”

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Texas Preview quote - Force India

Sergio Perez
“Austin was my home race before the arrival of the Mexican Grand Prix and it’s still one of the best events on the calendar. All weekend long you can see plenty of Mexican fans and you feel all their love and support. It makes it a really special weekend for me and I also have my family and friends there as well, so it really is like the perfect race.

“Austin is a small town but the vibe is great. It’s a college town so you see a lot of young people and it’s a great environment to be in. The place comes alive at night and there are so many nice things to do and places to go, so I really like it.

“The Circuit of the Americas is very enjoyable. It’s a very interesting circuit and it has some very challenging parts, especially the first sector. Turn one is really unusual and it’s the corner I enjoy the most: it’s very hard to pick your braking point and not miss the blind apex. The Esses that follow make this sector really fun to drive. Last year was the first time we got to try it with the high downforce cars and I’m looking forward to having another go this weekend.

“The circuit layout has a bit of everything so a balanced set-up is the key to doing well. There are slow and fast corners, tough braking zones and you need a car you can trust. We have had this kind of great balance in the last few races, so I think we can be competitive and pick up some good points.”

Esteban Ocon
“Austin is a fantastic track and it features lots of nice bits from other circuits combined into one. You have a first sector that looks like Suzuka and a tight section that reminds me of Mexico: it’s a good track for fighting, with some quick corners and some chances to overtake. Turn one and the left hander at the end of the back straight are quite good opportunities.

“The first sector is my favourite section. It’s very quick, very technical and in the Esses you need to position the car well otherwise you end up losing time in all the following corners. It’s good fun, but so tricky to get right. Setting the car up is a big challenge. You need a car you can trust in the quick sections and a good car in the slow section – not an easy compromise.

“What makes this weekend special is also the city of Austin. It’s such a cool place, with a lot of nice venues with live music. It has a very young vibe; it’s definitely an enjoyable place and it’s nice to stay there a bit longer to experience the town before going on to Mexico. There are lot of cool things to do and last year I went to enjoy a proper, big American steak. When I was a kid, one of my dreams was to travel to the United States and I didn’t come here until my first race in Austin in 2016, so I have a lot of catching up to do!”

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Japanese GP - Race, Force India Quotes

A solid race for the men in pink. Perez kept it steady, and pounced on Grosjean when he saw the Frenchman struggling with his tyres after the VSC restart to claim best of the rest. It also means the Mexican lies seventh in the drivers’ standings. Ocon pushed hard but couldn’t do likewise and came home ninth. A double points finish is a good result with sixth in the constructors’ not out of reach.

Sergio Perez, 7th
“Today we had a good result: the best I could realistically hope to achieve. After yesterday’s poor qualifying we made up a lot of positions and I feel we really got the maximum from the race. Our pace was strong and the team delivered a great strategy. We knew we had to be aggressive to beat the Haas and we nearly managed to undercut Grosjean at the pit-stop, but I lost a bit of time battling with Leclerc and I just fell short. At the VSC restart I managed to get really close to Grosjean and when I saw an opportunity I went for it. I am so excited about our performance today. We had to push hard and make some good overtakes: it was a fantastic race.”

Esteban Ocon, 9th
“The team scored some good points today, but I’m not totally happy because our final result was dictated by the penalty yesterday. We have shown great speed all weekend – as the fourth quickest team – but if we don’t start higher up it’s difficult to show it in the race. There were some fun moments today and I had to make a lot of overtaking moves. When you had fresh tyres there was a big pace advantage and our strategy paid off in the end. I was close to catching Grosjean during the final few laps, but there wasn’t a chance to make a move.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal & CEO
“I think we made the most of our opportunities this afternoon. We had to fight all the way to the flag to score eight important points. Our strategy required both cars to pull off various overtaking moves to come back through the field, but it worked out well. Sergio made a fantastic move on Grosjean to finish as the ‘best of the rest’. Considering our starting positions, we recovered well today and the team did an excellent job with the strategy calls. We have unlocked some significant performance recently and we just need to keep up this points-scoring momentum in the final few races.”

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There's more to come' - Ocon

Seven seemed to be Esteban Ocon’s lucky number in Japan on Friday – he finished seventh in first practice and then achieved the very same position in FP2.

With that equating to ‘best of the rest’ behind the big three teams, the Force India driver is understandably optimistic for the rest of the Suzuka weekend.

“A solid day,” was the Frenchman’s summary. “I’m pretty happy with how today went – and also we know there is a bit more to come from our side, a bit more to come from the car balance, so it definitely makes us excited for tomorrow.”

Ocon has a tough act to follow if he is to match his 2017 performance at Suzuka, when a superb drive saw him start fifth and run third in the early stages before eventually finishing sixth.
 

“It’s a difficult track to get everything perfect, so it’s going to be an interesting challenge for the engineers and myself to try to get all the details perfect,” he said of his prospects for Saturday, conceding that Force India will struggle to challenge the Red Bulls come qualifying.

“I don’t think so really,” he said of their chances. ”But with one step (tyre) compound harder we were ahead of Verstappen today, so that was a good thing. I think with the same compound really it’s going to be tough, but you never know.”

With Ocon looking increasingly likely to spend a year on the Formula 1 sidelines next season, the Frenchman also stressed that he is determined to make the most of his time in F1 machinery – especially at one of the most loved and challenging circuits on the calendar.
“It’s mega quick this year,” he said of Suzuka. “It was already fast last year, but it’s even more so now days. Very enjoyable – I’m trying to enjoy all the times I can in those cars and that fantastic circuit.

“As you have seen it’s very easy to make a mistake here – it’s very high speed, there’s the grass to clip on the entries. So you need to be on it at every point and you need to be one with the car – and that’s not an easy thing to do!”

Ocon beat team mate Sergio Perez in Japan last year and a repeat on Sunday could move him ahead of the Mexican in the standings. They are currently 10th and 11th, level on 47 points each.

 

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Ocon handed three-place grid penalty for red-flag offence

Esteban Ocon’s form in Japan had looked promising heading into qualifying, with the Frenchman having secured a hat-trick of P7s in Suzuka practice. But at the end of FP3, it was revealed that he would be investigated by stewards for failing to slow for the red flags – and the Force India driver has subsequently been handed a three-place grid penalty…

Nico Hulkenberg’s big shunt into the barriers brought a premature end to Free Practice 3, and following the session, it was alleged that Ocon breached the red-flag rules, with the driver summoned by the stewards to discuss the incident.

And, having investigated the incident after Japanese qualifying, it has been ruled that he ‘did not slow sufficiently' during the red flag period, resulting in him dropping from P8 to P11 on the grid for Sunday's race. He was also been handed two penalty points on his licence.

A statement released by the stewards in Japan explained that driver had been confused by Force India's system for managing pace under such situations, which led to him speeding for three mini-sectors of the lap.

“The driver informed the Stewards, and the telemetry showed, that he had slowed down for the red flags. However, after Turn 4, he heard some beeps on his radio that suggested that he was too slow and sped up briefly to regularize his speed.

“In doing so, he briefly exceeded the delta by a maximum of -1.68 over three mini sectors. As a result, he had failed to maintain the speed delta required under the regulations resulting in an infringement."

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Japanse GP - Qualifying quotes, Force India

Ocon was called to the stewards and handed a three place-grid penalty for failing to slow sufficiently under red flags in FP3. Force India did at least get both drivers to Q3 in qualifying later on but the team didn’t fuel their cars for the duration unlike others. After Perez made a mistake on his first run, the time lost in the pits cost him dearly as the weather deteriorated and he couldn’t get a representative lap in.

Sergio Perez, 10th, 1:37.229
“I am not very happy with my qualifying result because I think I should have been in front of quite a few other cars. It was a difficult session from the beginning of Q1. I was completing my lap when the red flag for Ericsson’s crash came out: I was just metres away from the line but I didn’t get a lap and I had to go again. In Q3 I went wide and lost a lot of time on my first lap when the track was at its best so there is definitely the feeling I could have done a lot more today. We need to make up some ground tomorrow. We start in the top ten and we have good pace so good points are achievable.”

Esteban Ocon, 8th, 1:30.126
“Eighth place is okay, but I’m not satisfied because we didn’t maximise our potential today. Our approach to Q3 meant we fuelled up for a few laps because we felt the track would dry up and keep improving. In reality the track was already quite dry right from the start of Q3 and that’s when the track was at its best, but we were heavy on fuel. Then, by the time we started our second run, the rain was getting heavier. Well done to the others who judged it better than us – that’s what can happen in those wet sessions. So I think we had the potential for more and I know we can be strong in the race. Let’s see what we can do tomorrow.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal & CEO
“The weather made for quite a tricky qualifying session. In one sense it’s good to have both cars in the top ten, but at the same time in Q3 we didn’t show our true speed. We sent both cars out with enough fuel to complete a few laps, but the first lap was the only one that counted in the end. Esteban’s lap was clean and tidy, but Checo made a mistake that cost him a few seconds. Our long run pace yesterday means we should be optimistic for the race, but overtaking here is very difficult and this will place even more importance on the timing of the pit stops.”

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Japanese GP - Practice quotes, Force India

Ocon performed well, finishing 'best of the rest' in seventh in both sessions. He did get frustrated by a perceived Vandoorne block in FP2, but other than that had a good day. Perez had a more up and down time – he lost control and half-spun in FP1 but managed a better session second time around to make Q3 look achievable come qualifying.

Sergio Perez – FP1: 1:31.272, P13; FP2: 1:30.510, P11
“It’s a super feeling to be driving at Suzuka in these cars. It’s one of the greatest tracks and every lap, even in practice, is really enjoyable. The day was pretty normal in terms of the work we did, but there is more to be done to make sure I feel comfortable with the car. We tried quite a lot of things with the set-up and we saw that Esteban was quite competitive so there is already a good baseline for tomorrow. Qualifying is going to be crucial. Putting together the perfect lap isn’t easy and I really want us to be up there as best of the rest tomorrow. The weather is uncertain, but we will just take it as it comes.”

Esteban Ocon - FP1: 1:30.591, P7; FP2: 1:30.035, P7
“It was a solid day of work to start our Suzuka weekend and I am happy with what we achieved. I am particularly excited because I think there’s still a bit more to come from our side and we can improve the car balance ahead of qualifying. This is a very difficult track to get right when it comes to the set-up, so it will be a challenge for us to get all the details right. The track is mega quick, even more so than last year. It’s very enjoyable to drive. Precision is very important as it’s very easy to make mistakes. You need to be at one with the car, which is never easy, but it’s so rewarding when you get it right.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal & CEO
“Despite an overcast sky the rain held off, but it was a cool day with low track temperatures. We split the test programme across both cars in FP1 and after that we focussed on race performance – mainly understanding the tyres compounds. We had a fuel system issue on Sergio’s car this afternoon, which cost us some track time, but on the whole the day ran smoothly. There is still some work to be done on the balance tomorrow morning to make sure we come out on top of a very tight midfield fight in qualifying.”

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Japanese GP - Force India preview quotes

Sergio Perez

“Suzuka is a proper drivers’ track and it is definitely one of my favourite circuits of the year. I love its flow and the high speeds, especially in the first sector. I think it’s one of the best sectors of the whole calendar. It’s a big challenge inside the cockpit, but it’s also a tough weekend because you really need to find the perfect balance for the car to put together a good lap. It’s not only the layout that is difficult – you can have a lot of wind that changes direction from one lap to the other and can throw you off.
“130R is my favourite corner of the track. You get there at more than 300kph and it’s a sharp left in seventh gear – you’re still doing 300kph at the exit. It’s such an amazing feeling. The corner is a bit less imposing in the new-generation cars because you have a lot more downforce, but you still need to focus perfectly to avoid making a mistake.
“Japan is where we meet some of the most passionate fans in the world. They truly make you feel at home all the time. A lot of them write to me on social media throughout the year: they write letters and when we get to Suzuka some of them surprise me with a gift. It’s really special. There is one special fan who always waits for me at the hotel and when I am leaving the track. It’s great to see their love of Formula One.”

Esteban Ocon
“I think all the drivers love Suzuka. The characteristics of the track make it so special – there are big corners, a lot of history and it’s a very difficult lap to get right. There are some truly great corners all the way through, but the Esses in the first sector are something special. They’re just so much fun to drive: I love quick changes of direction and the flow through that sector in qualifying, with a light car and lots of grip, feels just awesome.
“I am looking forward to meeting the Japanese fans. The welcome they give us is always incredible – they’re supporting you from when you land at the airport and they never stop cheering. They’re some of the most passionate we see all year and it gives me so much energy.
“Last year we had a very solid weekend in Suzuka. I ran third for a long time before finishing seventh, so hopefully we can have another strong weekend. If we can score a similar result this year it would be a great effort.”

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Force India predicting stronger Japan

On paper, Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez finishing the Russian Grand Prix as the third- and fourth-fastest runners behind the big three teams wasn’t a bad showing. But Perez admitted afterwards that he’d been shocked at the pace of Charles Leclerc’s Sauber C37 – with Force India now hoping to re-stamp their authority on the midfield in Suzuka.

Force India have put in some eye-catching performances since their rebirth as Racing Point Force India over the summer break, while the injection of cash that came from the team being purchased also allowed them to put on some long-awaited updates in Singapore – something which helped Perez qualify comfortably best of the rest there, over three-tenths faster than his nearest rival.

That pace counted for nothing in the race, as the two Force India drivers came together on lap one, putting Ocon out after just three corners and leaving Perez to finish 16th.
They enjoyed a better Grand Prix in Russia, however, with Ocon ending up ninth and Perez 10th – albeit with neither driver able to make any gains on Kevin Magnussen’s eighth-placed Haas, and with all three drivers summarily outperformed by Leclerc, who ended up P7 and well up the road.
 

And while both Force India drivers appeared reasonably content with their days’ work in Sochi, having helped the team to their third double points finish in four races, Perez sounded an alarm bell when asked whether it was Haas who were their main midfield competition for the rest of the season.

“Well, the Sauber came from nowhere and beat us massively today,” said the Mexican. “I think they've done an incredible job. I just saw [Leclerc] on the first lap and then he disappeared, so a massive surprise.

"We tried our best and we worked well as a team, but in the end P9 and P10 was all we could achieve today.

“Let's see what happens in Suzuka," he added, "a very different track and hopefully we can be competitive there.”

Force India Team Principal and CEO Otmar Szafnauer was also predicting a strong performance for his squad at the Japanese Grand Prix, taking place just a week after Sochi, re-stating that he felt they had more than enough momentum to overtake McLaren’s sixth place in the constructors’ standings, despite having only been eligible for points since Belgium in August following the team's move to new ownership.

“I think we’ll be strong in Suzuka,” he said. “We’ve updated the car recently, so now it’s time to learn a bit more about set-up and how the updates work and optimise the car, so there should be more performance.

“We’re [23] points behind McLaren with five races left, so we’ve got to score an average of five more per race than they do. I think that’s achievable.”

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Russian GP - Race, Force India Quotes

Ocon lost a place at the start which landed him slap bang in front of his team mate, just where Force India didn’t want him to be. Repeated radio messages from Perez about being slowed down didn’t help matters and eventually the team opted to reverse the positions. But the Mexican made no more headway and fairly gave the position back after a few laps of trying and failing to close down Magnussen.

Sergio Perez, 10th
“We tried everything as a team today: trying to push all the time and it’s a bit disappointing not to maximise the points we could have scored. We swapped positions [with Esteban] because we thought I could put more pressure on Magnussen, but I couldn’t get through. Our race wasn’t the most exciting and in the end we could only follow each other. Overtaking was very hard and maybe we lacked a couple of hundred meters of DRS to be able to make a move. We tried our best and we worked well as a team, but in the end P9 and P10 was all we could achieve today.”

Esteban Ocon, 9th
“Ninth place today is not too bad, but we hoped for more and I think we had the pace for more - certainly to be in front of the Haas. It’s a bit of a shame because the team swapped positions [with Sergio] to give us each a chance to attack Kevin [Magnussen] but it was very difficult to overtake, even with a longer DRS zone. Even at the start I lost out to Charles [Leclerc] because I was fighting with Kevin and ultimately it was one of those days when things didn’t really go in our favour. Considering what happened in the race it’s good to come away with both cars in the points.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal & CEO
“Both cars home safely in the points today, but we ended the day a little frustrated that we weren’t able to demonstrate the true pace of the car. We lost out to Leclerc on lap one and spent the rest of the afternoon trying to find a way past Magnussen. Despite a pace advantage we couldn’t make a move stick and had to settle for ninth and tenth places. Both our cars were running line astern for almost the entire afternoon and we swapped the cars around to give each driver a chance to get ahead of the Haas. In the end we didn’t have enough advantage in the parts of the lap where it mattered to get ahead. We’ve added a few more points to our tally and shown good pace across the weekend so I think we can be just as competitive next weekend in Suzuka.”

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Russian GP - Qualifying - Force India Quotes

Force India looked to have 'best of the rest' nailed down in Q3, although Ocon was pushed uncomfortably close by Leclerc with just 0.006s separating the two. That was before Kevin Magnussen snuck in to grab P5 from under the Frenchman’s nose. Sixth and eighth mean the two Force India boys start directly behind each other – and there will be stern words overnight from their boss to try and stop them tripping over each other, as they did in Singapore.

Sergio Perez, 8th, 1:33.563
“I am happy with how the car felt, but I think we could have been higher up the grid. My aim was to be in P5, but my Q3 laps were not the best and I lost a little time. Hopefully tomorrow we will be able to pick up some positions at the start. I’m optimistic for tomorrow, but it’s going to be a long race. Strategy will be crucial because we are not starting on the best tyre compound and those just outside the top ten, on a harder compound, will be our main threat. Maybe we could have tried to go through Q2 on the ultrasofts, but in the end it will be the same for everyone around us. We need to make our hypersofts last and make the most of the first stint. I am sure there will be opportunities and we’ll need to be there to take them.”

Esteban Ocon, 6th, 1:33.413
“The car performed really well today and it’s clear we’ve taken a good step forward during the last couple of races. I’m happy with the result – P6 – but I made a mistake on my final lap in Q3, which meant I wasn’t able to really fight against Kevin Magnussen for P5. That’s a shame, but starting from sixth gives us a good chance tomorrow. It will be really interesting to see how the hypersofts perform in the race and we know there will be a lot of cars further back on the ultrasofts. Let’s see how the strategies unfold, but I believe we can convert our strong performance today into a good race result tomorrow.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal & CEO
“In the lead up to qualifying we felt we had the fourth fastest car, but we didn’t quite maximise our performance when it mattered during qualifying. Fifth and sixth places were there for the taking, but we’ve had to settle for sixth and eighth, which is still a good effort. The challenge now is bringing home the result and making the hypersoft work during the opening part of the race. The priority tomorrow is to have a clean race, bring both cars home and collect some important points.”

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Russian GP - Practice - Force India Quotes

After their fireworks last time out, it was back to work as usual for Force India. Perez gave up his seat in FP1 to Latifi, and returned in second practice to finish an impressive ‘best of the rest’ with Ocon very close behind.

Sergio Perez - FP2: 1:35.122, P7
“I drove the car this afternoon and the pace looked competitive straight away. I think we can keep up the form we have shown since the summer break and the car feels good. The challenge is making sure we put everything together tomorrow because qualifying is so important here. We’ve seen how difficult it can be to overtake here, even with a quicker car. It’s hard to know how the track will evolve, but we have the data and information to make the right decisions tonight.”

Nicholas Latifi - FP1: 1:37.206, P17
“The team is still learning about the new upgrade package and I am glad I could help collect more data on those test items. I ran on two different tyre compounds – the ultrasoft and the hypersoft - and it was a straightforward session keeping to the run plan. It has been a couple of months since I drove the car and I could definitely feel the progress the team has made recently.”

Esteban Ocon - FP1: 1:35.663, P6; FP2: 1:35.147, P9
“It has been a solid day ending both sessions in the top ten and I’m pleased with the work we’ve done. We are still testing new parts and it’s easier to do that here compared to Singapore, and the feelings are still positive. We are definitely moving in a good direction with the car. The rest of the time we focussed on the usual race preparation and learning how the different tyre compounds behave over the long runs. I think we have done most of our homework to be in good shape for the weekend.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal & CEO
“It was a typical Friday with important data collection and preparation for the weekend. We also worked through a comprehensive aero and mechanical test programme, and evaluated some new parts on the cars. Nicholas did a solid and impressive job for us this morning, and Esteban and Sergio were pretty happy with the car performance by the end of second practice. Now it’s all about working through the data and making sure we can be at the front of a very close midfield fight.”

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Force India in focus after Singapore fallout

As it has been for much of the past few months, Force India were the point of much paddock focus on Thursday in Sochi, as the fallout from the team’s eventful Singapore Grand Prix, coupled with continuing rumblings over the outfit’s administration proceedings, set the tone for debate…
Since their rebirth and subsequent constructors’ championship points reset at the Belgian Grand Prix, the team had charged up the standings to sit seventh by the start of the last racing weekend, with sixth-placed McLaren their next target.
Yet despite qualifying both cars in the top ten at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, Force India lost ground to their rivals after their drivers made contact, with Esteban Ocon forced into retirement on Lap 1.
Of course, it’s not the first time the Force India duo have come to blows, but while the loss of points their previous conflicts inflicted on the team were costly, never before had they been deemed quite so unforgivable.
 

Quest to regain championship points

The entire modus operandi of Force India in the second half of the 2018 Formula 1 season is to recapture as many positions in the championship standings as possible. Thus to have the chance of what appeared almost guaranteed points squandered by intra-team contact was, as Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer described the incident, “unacceptable.”
In the past, Szafnauer has had no qualms in placing a ban on his drivers from racing one another. And in Singapore he was in no mood for excuses.
"If it's somebody else and it's not your team mate, it's a racing incident. But if it's your team mate then you've got to give him room.
"So we're back to the old rules, we allowed them to race on lap one whereas in the past we didn't allow them to race on lap one and now we can remove that.”

 

So, who was to blame?

Perez accepted the blame for the Singapore incident on Thursday, but was more reluctant to take full responsibility for his later coming together with the Williams of Sergey Sirotkin, instead blaming the placement of his mirrors as a mitigating factor in not being able to see the Russian as he closed the door in the midst of their fight.
"Basically, with these mirrors it's very hard to see behind, so I lost the reference,” he told journalists in Russia.

"I just misjudged where he was. I was trying to close the door before braking but he was just too close.”

Perez delivered the same lines, almost verbatim, in both print and televised interviews in Sochi on Thursday, a sign perhaps that he’d been rehearsing his protestations in the intervening week between races. And with good reason.

There are many in the paddock who believe Perez got away lightly under the lights of Singapore. Despite the Mexican claiming the external view of the incident looked far worse than was the reality in-car, his sudden jink, when allied to his increasingly frustrated radio messages, left many I've spoken to with the impression he had lost his cool.

Whether he intended to hit the Russian or merely to give him a scare, the mirrors argument carried little water with those who believed he was lucky not to have been black flagged. But the ire of the press corps is one thing. The fury of his team, quite another.

Perez and Ocon may have shaken hands and moved on, but the points loss and needless contact is yet to be addressed here in Sochi, with the final Singapore debrief and Russia race-weekend team briefing set for later Thursday, a meeting at which the riot act is expected to be laid down in no uncertain terms.

Despite Szafnauer’s post-race proclamations, both Force India drivers stated they had not been made aware of any change to racing protocol. Few expect that freedom to remain in place once the sun sets on Thursday night.

Unwanted attention

It’s an annoyance the team management could well do without. Reports broke online on Thursday morning of claims that Force India’s sale to a consortium headed by Lawrence Stroll was being challenged in the High Court in London by a failed rival bidder.
Yet no sooner had the story broken than FRP, the joint administrators, had issued their own statement that no such claim “has been received by us or, as far as we are aware, by the Court. If a claim is issued it will be defended vigorously.”
For Force India it's just the latest episode in what has been one of the most tumultuous and yet endearing stories of the season. The new investment has allowed the team to finally bring the upgrade packages they’d had to put on hold and has injected a new verve into the British squad.
Positivity abounds at Force India, with the team excited about not only the remainder of 2018, but its plans for 2019 and the expected arrival of Lance Stroll, whom many inside the squad believe has the making of a rapid and respected racer.
 

What now for Ocon?

Through all of this, Ocon has maintained an air of calm. Even in the immediate aftermath of the Singapore Grand Prix, his social media posts were measured and conciliatory, a sign perhaps that he recognises the bigger forces at play in his career. There is every likelihood that the Frenchman will be without an F1 race seat in 2019 and his broader scale focus appears very much to be in evidence.
Williams seems now to be his only potential racing venue in Formula 1 next season, something which he admitted on Thursday afternoon in stating he did not believe that any potential move to the squad would represent a “downgrade.”
As for opportunities outside the sport?
“I’m only interested in Formula 1, that’s the only thing I want to do. That’s my only focus.”
Ocon travelled to Russia with his “best friend” and “Frerot” Lance Stroll. The Canadian has always taken more than his fair share of online abuse, but has seen the vitriol increase in recent weeks since his father essentially saved Force India and stories immediately linked the young Canadian with a move to the squad.
“We can come from a different background, but inside we have the same passion, spirit of competition, and the same love for the sport,” Ocon posted on his Instagram feed. “So guys please be respectful and show your support, nothing is easy in life and we all work hard to be here!”
Ocon’s friendship with Stroll is very real, but the increasingly public nature of Ocon’s posting about it has caught the attention of many in the paddock. Perhaps the Frenchman sees the benefit in promoting his alliance with Stroll, sensing an opportunity to step into Perez’s shoes should the explosions of pink carbon fibre continue into 2019.
Or perhaps he’s just standing up for his mate.

The paddock can be a cynical place.
 

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