F1 | Force India, Ocon: “Fantastic race”

The Indian team leaves the Japan with a haul of 14 points which maintains fourth position in the constructors' championship.

Esteban Ocon he concluded a very positive weekend with sixth position; the French driver was third for a good part of the grand prix:

“It was a fantastic race, especially at the beginning and in the following laps; I held third position for some time. We still lose a bit of pace to keep the big guys behind but it was nice to battle at the front. I gave my all to avoid being passed by Bottas and Ricciardo but they were too fast so I had to let them go and concentrate on my race. The most important challenge was maintaining my pace because we only had one stop available and it was important to conserve the tires until the end. It was a fantastic weekend, we reached the maximum. We learned a lot about the car and this will allow us to be stronger in Austin, where I hope we will be able to close the gap to the drivers in front.".

Immediately behind, in seventh position, Sergio Perez:

“I'm really happy for the team, it was the best we could achieve today. The race was relatively easy: qualifying was good and we had good pace. I thought I was faster than Esteban, I had the opportunity to overtake him but I followed the team's orders. Swapping positions wouldn't have changed anything for the team; in the end, Esteban did a great job over the weekend. In the last few races we have been really strong and I am happy with the results we have achieved. The “Forza Mexico” message on the podium before the race means a lot to me and I would like to thank the whole paddock. The support for my country has been incredible over the last few weeks and I hope we continue to help ahead of the race later this month.".

Jessica Cortellazzi