Esteban Ocon wants either blistering heat or a downpour this afternoon at Paul Ricard to boost his chances of a good result in the French Grand Prix.
The Force India driver missed out on a spot in Q3 by a very narrow margin, but hailed the improvements achieved by the team after a difficult day of running on Friday.
“I am a bit disappointed to miss out on the top ten by such a small margin [0.02s], but I am happy about my lap and how we came back as a team from a difficult Friday,” said Ocon.
“We came into qualifying a bit blind after missing track time yesterday, but we were able to improve the car a lot and found a good balance.
“P11 is the next best thing to a place in Q3 and at least we will have free choice of tyres.”
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Force India’s resident pink panther is looking to the skies for some support on Sunday, but also appreciates the fervor effusing from the grandstands.
“Hopefully it’s going to be very hot tomorrow and the strategy can play in our hands, or perhaps it’s going to rain – I’d welcome anything that can mix things up,” said the local hero.
“I have to thank the fans for all their support.
“I could see them with their flags and it was a special feeling to drive in front of my home crowd.”
Ocon’s team mate, Sergio Perez will line up P13, just behind the Frenchman, on Sunday’s grid. The Mexican believes he could have done better on Saturday if his timing had been optimized.
“We could have been much further up the grid. I think we were unlucky with the conditions because we were expecting more rain towards the end of Q2,” said Checo.
“I went out too early and did my laps, and then the track improved.
“We need to see what happens with the weather tomorrow because if it’s wet it will open up some opportunities.”
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