Britsh GP, Race quotes, Force India

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

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

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

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British GP - Qualifying - Force India Quotes

Force India had a quiet day, lacking the pace to dominate the midfield battle. They did well to get one car into the top 10 with Ocon, while Perez will fancy his chances tomorrow given he has free tyre choice. From a double DNF to a big points haul, Force India have had a roller coaster in the first two parts of the triple header - but will they finish on a high?

Esteban Ocon, 10th, 1:28.194
“I am pretty happy to be back in the top ten after missing out on Q3 in the last two races. We have made a step forward and we can be satisfied with our performance gains, but we need to keep pushing. We start tomorrow’s race in the points already and I feel confident because we usually have better race pace compared to our single lap speed. The middle of the field is so close at the moment so it’s going to be a big battle tomorrow, especially with a Renault behind me and my teammate, Sergio, who will both be pushing hard.”

Sergio Perez, 12th, 1:27.928
“There was the potential to be a bit quicker, but the track didn’t improve as much as I was expecting. The margins were very close and unfortunately I missed out on a place in Q3. P12 is not the worst place to be starting tomorrow: we can race well from there and points are achievable. I have a free choice of tyres for the start and we have new tyres available. The hot track temperatures have the potential to make things interesting tomorrow. With high degradation it could make a one-stop race difficult to achieve.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Chief Operating Officer
“P10 and P12 is probably a fair reflection of our performance level this weekend. The middle of the grid is incredibly close and we’ve been inside the top ten or on the cusp of it through all the sessions leading up to qualifying. Both Esteban and Checo delivered clean and tidy laps, so there wasn’t much more available for us today. It seems like it’s always about the weather at the British Grand Prix and tomorrow the heat will play an interesting role because it’s certainly impacting tyre degradation and could see some different strategies unfold in the race.”

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British GP - practice, Force India Quotes

The Force India drivers kept each other honest - eighth and ninth in both sessions with Perez the quicker in FP1 and Ocon returning the favour in FP2, they look like Q3 contenders for tomorrow.

Sergio Perez - FP1: 1:29.812, P8; FP2: 1:29.522, P9
It’s been a busy day for the team. We had an update package to evaluate in the morning session, where we split the test plan between the two cars. Understanding how these tyres work on the resurfaced Silverstone track was one of our main aims from the day: we gathered a lot of data about all the compounds and we expect the conditions to remain very hot for the rest of the weekend. The margins are, as always, very tight in the midfield, so we will need to make a step forward before qualifying, but I think we can aim for Q3 tomorrow.”

Esteban Ocon - FP1: 1:29.815, P9; FP2: 1:29.467, P8
“It was quite a good day, ending up in the top ten in both the sessions. We’ve done most of our homework for tomorrow and the new aero parts certainly helped us. The car is feeling good and I’m confident we can be strong tomorrow and Sunday. We just need to keep working hard tonight on the small details to find those last few tenths.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Chief Operating Officer
“We had a positive day of practice, with both cars running very different set-ups to analyse the upgrades we are bringing to this race – namely the new floor. We collected most of the information we needed and we will work hard to find more performance in the lead up to qualifying. The new track surface is very smooth, but there’s plenty of grip out there. The tyre compounds are very different from those used in the last few races, but we managed to run on each of them and this should give us the information we need to make the best choices tonight.”

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British GP - Force India Preview

Sergio Perez
“Silverstone is a very special weekend for our team. It’s the only race in which we get to see all the team members, their families and so many guests: a lot of people that sometimes we only see once a year. For us, this brings so much extra motivation. It’s a race where we want to do especially well and I hope we get a result to celebrate properly across the road, at HQ.
“I lived in the UK for four years in the early part of my career, when I was racing in F3. I liked it and I still have a lot of close friends around Silverstone. Going back for the race is always a good chance to catch up with everyone. I know lots of good local restaurants as well.
“The track itself is great and I love racing at Silverstone. It’s such a fluid and fast layout and you really enjoy a Formula One car at its best on this track. It’s a wonderful feeling. Overtaking is difficult, but it’s possible. There are a few places where you can make a move: a few big braking zones, such as turn five.”

Esteban Ocon
“It’s fantastic to be racing in Britain. Our base is just across the road from the track and I spend a lot of time there during the year, so it really feels like home. You can feel how important it is for the team: there is a different atmosphere and I really enjoy it.

“I always get to see all our staff who work at the factory when I go back, but this week I will spend a bit more time with everybody because I’m there for much longer. I will be in Silverstone all week and it’s a good chance to put in a lot of work.

“The track itself is legendary. It’s a quick circuit with a lot of high-speed corners and it is a very challenging place where the driver can make the difference. I really enjoy driving there. This year the track has been resurfaced so this will be a new element with which everyone will need to deal.

“Overtaking at Silverstone is not easy. Turns five and six are probably the best opportunities. Maggots and Becketts are also great to drive and the straight immediately afterwards means you can get an overtaking chance if you’re quick through those corners. You also have to keep an eye on the weather, but this week it looks like it’s going to be very hot. I was actually hoping for some rain to mix things up a little!

“Silverstone is also the time we go to the Woodlands Campsite. There are always a lot of fans supporting Force India: we see them with their caps and shirts and it’s always good fun going there and meeting them. There is a special atmosphere and I am looking forward to it.”

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'Best of the rest’ battle to go down to the wire – Ocon

Force India had looked off the pace in Austria in practice and qualifying, but Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez kept their noses clean when it mattered to bring home a double-points finish. It was a morale-boosting result, and one they expect will keep their middle-order rivals on their toes…

The Silverstone-based team, who have finished fourth in the constructors’ championship in the last two years, are once again among the teams fighting for the ‘best of the rest’ mantle behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull this season.However, they have encountered fierce competition to defend that position in 2018, with Renault currently occupying P4 while Haas and McLaren have progressed in terms of position this year too.And after securing sixth place in Spielberg, while his team mate finished one place behind him – the first time both pink challengers have finished in the top ten this season – Ocon is expecting the battle to go right down to the wire.

“Yeah, I mean those guys [Haas] were quick today,” he said. “We’ll get them another time. I was quite happy for the team. The result today, sixth and seventh, and a good understanding as well with Checo [Perez] towards the end on a different strategy.

"We couldn’t get [Magnussen] at the end but we will keep pushing at the next races. It’s definitely [a huge result]. The gap in the middle championship in the constructors' table is close. The fight is on and it will last all season.”

Force India opted not to pit under the early Virtual Safety Car (VSC) – introduced when Valtteri Bottas retired from the race – but ran longer first stints and made that strategy work in style.

“It feels good,” added Perez. “It’s a massive result for the team. We outscored Renault so definitely a good day. I think the management with the tyres was very good. The team did a really good job.

“We were a bit concerned because we didn’t box under the VSC. All in all it’s been a fantastic day. Looking forward, we are expecting some upgrades for Silverstone or Hungary.

“We never give up. We had a bad but the next day is always a new chance. And today we proved, once again, we didn’t give up and try our best to move forward. It worked really well.”

The race saw some intra-team back and forth towards the end as Perez was allowed ahead to challenge Haas’ Kevin Magnussen on fresher tyres, before pulling aside to let Ocon back through on their final lap.

And Deputy Team Principal Bob Fernley was pleased with the teamwork displayed on Sunday, given how tight the midfield battle is this season – with just 20 points splitting fourth-placed Renault and seventh-placed Force India.

“I thought it was a well-managed and well-executed race, and both drivers were superb. The fact they cooperated with each other stands everything in good stead for the future. Next week it could be the other way round. You have to set the precedent and make sure everything works well. To be fair, both drivers [understood] what they were doing beforehand.

“At the end of the day, we have to keep maximising because it’s a tough battle for that fifth place. Renault had a bad day, but that’s the first setback they’ve had this season.

“Fourth isn’t gone by any means, but it’s not easy to pull that back in the second half of the season. Today was a very unusual day with the retirements of the front cars. When three of the top six go out, it’s quite a surprise.

“The battle for the fifth-place positon, we’re seven points across all three teams which is pretty tight. Development, reliably, consistency: those are things that we are normally quite good at. Everybody has got an eye on that 2019 programme because we are going to have to switch over at some point in the near future.”

Force India will be hoping to bring their momentum to this weekend’s British Grand Prix, with Perez and Ocon 11th and 12th respectively in the drivers’ standings.

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Austrain GP - Race - Force India Quotes

Force India had looked off the pace this weekend, but their drivers largely kept out of trouble and made the most of every opportunity to record a double points finish for the team. They opted not to pit under the VSC but ran longer first stints and made that strategy work in style. There was some intra-team back and forth towards the end as Perez was allowed ahead to challenge Magnussen on fresher tyres, before pulling aside to let Ocon back through on their final lap.
 
Sergio Perez, 7th
“It’s been a really positive day for the team. We have come away with important points from a weekend that was quite challenging in the lead up to the race. Starting from P15 on the grid and finishing seventh is a great effort and we should be proud of this achievement. Yes, there were some cars that retired ahead of us, but we raced well and made our strategy work so that we could take advantage of these opportunities. We didn’t pit under the Virtual Safety Car, like many others did, but the strategy we chose worked really well and I had strong pace all afternoon, especially in the closing laps. I wanted to chase down Magnussen at the end, but it just wasn’t possible.”

Esteban Ocon, 6th
“I’m happy with this result and it’s a very good day for the team. We can be really pleased with our performance today. We managed our tyres well and made the one-stop race work when others around us were struggling. We kept our tyres going until the end and we also showed great teamwork with Checo as we swapped places to chase Magnussen. I think we showed where this team is strong. Hopefully the next updates will keep bringing performance to the car and we can keep the momentum going. The championship battle in the midfield is going to be very close until the end of the season and we need to keep pushing.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Chief Operating Officer
“Today’s result represents a very well executed race by the entire team. We kept out of trouble in the opening laps and then made some excellent calls from the pit wall to keep Esteban and Sergio in contention for points. The race pace was solid and Esteban and Sergio worked well together as we tried to chase down Magnussen. To score 14 points from a weekend where we didn’t optimise our Friday and Saturday sessions helps make today’s performance more satisfying and is a nice way to celebrate our 200th race as Force India.”

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Austrian GP - Qualifying - Force India Quotes

A mixed session for the team in pink - Perez couldn't extract any pace from his VJM11 and suffered with traffic on his flying lap. Ocon did make Q2 and finished 11th, which of course means free tyre choice for the race. On the downside, he will be right in the middle of the pack into Turn 1, which in the past has proved notorious for crashes.
 
Sergio Perez, 17th, 1:05.279
“I am disappointed to go out of qualifying so early today. It was definitely not the result we were expecting. We were close to making Q2 but in the end we fell just short. I found so much traffic in the last sector of my final and the time I lost kept me out of Q2. We didn’t maximise our performance and paid the price for it. With these small margins, we had to be perfect to progress and that wasn’t the case today. I feel we made some good steps forward with the car this weekend, even though we weren’t able to show it today, and we will give everything to try and recover some points tomorrow.”

Esteban Ocon, 11th, 1:04.845
“A place in Q3 was just out of reach today. We were missing a tenth or two to make the difference because the middle of the grid is very close. It’s not been the easiest weekend and we have struggled to find the pace, especially over a single lap. I think the developments we have coming for the future races will give us the boost we need. The positive thing about P11 is that we have a free choice of tyres tomorrow and can start the race on new tyres. For tomorrow I’m only looking forward and aiming for points.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Chief Operating Officer
“On such a short lap we always see a very tight grid with small margins between the cars, especially in the middle of the pack. P11 represents a decent effort by Esteban and keeps us in the fight for points tomorrow. Sergio has been struggling more with the balance of the car and he was caught out by the traffic this afternoon. With a grid penalty for Leclerc, we expect Sergio to move up a position to start from P16. We have solid race pace so I think there’s all to play for tomorrow and I will be disappointed if we don’t come away with some points.”

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