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Ocon: "We maximised the potential of our car"

17:45, 25 Aug 2018

byJake Williams-Smith

Esteban Ocon qualified a magnificent third on Saturday for Racing Point Force India. Taking full advantage of the changable conditions and errors from Ferrari and Red Bull, Ocon set a lap good enough for third with teammate Sergio Perez lining up fourth in an unlikely second row lock-out for the team.

The team endured a very difficult summer, being placed into administration with the view to saving the team before being saved by a consortium led by Lawrence Stroll, the result provided the paddock with a huge feel good story on Saturday.

Just a day after losing all of their constructors points due to the team applying to finish the season as a new entry, Ocon's drive to third on the grid could have come at a vital time for both the team and himself.

“Well what I knew is that definitely when it’s damp conditions like this, you have an opportunity and you have something to do,” he said in the post-qualifying press conference.

“It’s always closer between the cars when the conditions are like that.

“Today we maximised the potential of our car. Last time it rained I was also starting third, so it's the second time it rains and I'm starting third, so it's a fantastic result.

“It’s great to perform like this after a difficult time for Force India. That’s totally behind now. We are focusing on this weekend. The car has been strong even in the dry this weekend. Hopefully we'll get a great result tomorrow.”

With the investment from the consortium and Stroll, his future with the team is in serious doubt as Lance Stroll looks set to make the mid-season switch to the new Force India team.

Ocon however remained positive and with performances such as this one, he will do his reputation no harm as he looks for a race seat for 2019.

“Well you know for sure, my future is not done at the moment,” Ocon admitted.

“I don’t know where I will race next year or what I will do.

“As I said, the only thing I can do is to do well on-track, to focus, do the same job as before, try to do the best, and if you do a strong job in Formula 1, the teams, they can't skip you. They have to have you. That's what I'm trying to do.”