Force India have the simple goal of targeting the best result they can at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as their drivers look to add a 16th double points finish to their total in a highly successful year.
The Silverstone-based team has been dominant at the front of the midfield this season thanks to their remarkable consistency, which only puts them second to Mercedes in terms of the number of top 10’s.
They would claim fourth in the Constructors’ Championship for the second straight year in Mexico, a position they had sewn up for much of the year given none of their rivals could mount a serious challenge, and now Sergio Perez is keen to wrap up ‘best of the rest’ in the Drivers’ standings in seventh, with teammate Esteban Ocon 13 points behind.
“I enjoy driving at Yas Marina, it’s a track where we’ve been strong for the last few years and I would love to end the year on a high with a strong result,” the Mexican began.
“The final race is always a strange feeling because it’s your last opportunity to drive the VJM10 and you don’t know what next year will bring. We don’t have any pressure because fourth place in the championship is confirmed so I can focus on simply enjoying the experience and getting the best result possible.
“As a team, we can be satisfied with our season,” he added. “Finishing fourth is the best we could achieve and, on a personal level, finishing just behind the top six drivers makes me feel proud. We just need to make sure we deliver this weekend and end the season well.”
As for the Frenchman, Abu Dhabi is a special place for the 21-year-old as it was the site of some key memories in his racing career.
“I have great memories from Yas Marina: this is where I was crowned GP3 champion in 2015 and where I drove my first First Practice 1 session in F1,” he said. “I have done so much testing around there and I like the place.”
He heads to the Middle East after seeing a three-year finishing streak in single-seater racing broken last time out in Brazil, following first lap contact with Romain Grosjean, it also marked just the second time this year Ocon has not scored points. Nevertheless, in his first full year on the grid, the Mercedes junior is thrilled by the impact he has made.
“This season went by so quickly – it’s unbelievable to think we’re already at the final race of the season because it feels like yesterday that we were in Australia,” he smiled. “It’s been a successful season and I hope we can finish it in style with a big result.”
