Force India scored eight points in Monaco as Esteban Ocon finished in sixth place ahead of Sergio Perez in twelfth. The Frenchman was “best of the rest” – classified behind the Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes drivers – both in qualifying and in the race. He said the result was fantastic for him and the team.
“I’m really happy and it was great fun. The pace we had was impressive and the team did a fantastic job with the strategy. We had a great understanding of the tyres and there were times during the race when we were the fastest car on track. In the final few laps I was catching [Valtteri] Bottas and [Kimi] Raikkonen by over a second per lap and I was right behind them at the end. It feels great to get this result and a good bunch of points after a few disappointing races. I hope we can have many more weekends like this one.”
Fantastic week end P6 today, Monaco I love you ❤️!
Week end fantastique P6 aujourd’hui, Monaco je t’aime ❤️! #EO31 #monacogp pic.twitter.com/HIm6EVB4bE— Esteban Ocon (@OconEsteban) May 27, 2018
Mixed feelings in Force India after Monaco – Ocon happy, Perez disappointed
Perez was disappointed as he did not get the race he wanted. He had a problem at the pit stop which ruined his race.
“Our first stint was strong, we looked after the tyres well and pushed hard just before the stop. We had a good rhythm but we pitted slightly early to react to what was happening around us. We lost some time, but in the second part of the race, we had good pace. Unfortunately, it was impossible to overtake. I was quicker than the cars in front, but you need a big advantage to be able to pass around here, especially with these very wide cars. I leave Monaco feeling we have lost some important points. Esteban showed what we could do today and it feels like an opportunity lost”, the Mexican driver added.
Best of the rest for @OconEsteban as we add 8 points to our team tally! Unlucky race for @SChecoPerez who would have surely been in the top 10 without a pit-stop issue. #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/DwwPqRsVVU
— Sahara Force India (@ForceIndiaF1) May 27, 2018
