Sergio Perez believes Force India’s decision to prioritise top speed at the cost of downforce will pay off in Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix.
Perez, who will start the race eighth, was among the quickest in the power-hungry first sector but lost time through the long, sweeping corners of sector two.
The Force India pair were pipped by Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg, but Perez expects to have the upper hand on race day.
“I think this is the way forwards for us,” the Mexican said of his set-up. “That’s definitely good for us.
“It’s been tough [in the middle sector], especially with the amount of sliding that we’re carrying. We’re carrying too much sliding there and we’re on the limit.
“If you get one corner wrong, then you lose quite a bit of load and a bit of grip from the tyre. It’s been quite easy to slide the tyre in sector two.
“I think we’ve got the right setup for the race tomorrow. I was more concerned for qualy, but for the race we should be quite strong tomorrow.”
Team-mate Ocon was disappointed with ninth but is similarly optimistic about the team’s chances on Sunday.
“I think a better result was possible today,” he admitted.
“From Q2 onwards I started to lose some grip and we need to analyse and understand what happened.
“I was three tenths faster on my Q2 lap compared to Q3 so we didn’t maximise things and I’m not totally satisfied.
“However, I feel confident about the race. The car is working well and we have a quick race car, especially in the first and final sectors. That will help us tomorrow.
“It’s a track that encourages good racing and I think there will be opportunities tomorrow and some close battles.”
