Russia 2018 - GP Preview - Racing Point FI Mercedes

Otmar Szafnauer

“We all felt incredibly flat after the disappointment of the race in Singapore, but at the same time you have to learn from these events, put them behind you and become stronger. Our drivers know that it cannot happen again and we’ve dealt with the matter now and moved on.

“There was one positive from Singapore – the pace of the car. Sergio qualified a comfortable seventh and the upgrades brought us an immediate performance step. There is definitely more to come and Sochi is a good circuit to learn more about the new aero package. I think we can be up there this weekend fighting to be the best of the rest and scoring good points.”

Sergio Perez

“I was very disappointed with the result in Singapore, but dealing with difficult days is part of the job. I have turned the page already and I am looking forward to Sochi, where I am sure the outcome will be very different. I can’t wait to get back in the car and get the points the team deserves.

“The Russian Grand Prix brings up some really great memories from three years ago, when I finished on the podium. It was an unexpected result, in a way, and I remember the struggle at the end of the race because I had nothing left of my tyres. It was a fantastic day for us. I quite like Sochi: the event is getting bigger and better every year and they try really hard to put on a good race.

“I am feeling positive about this weekend and I think we’ll be competitive. Singapore did not bring us the result we expected but the performance and balance of the car were very good. If we can carry that pace forward to Sochi, we should expect a strong result. I think the new upgrades still have some potential to unlock and hopefully we will be able to do so in Russia.”

Esteban Ocon

“We had a terrible weekend in Singapore, leaving empty-handed despite having a great car and the pace to score well, so I am determined to bounce back immediately in Russia. We have made some improvements with our upgrades so I think we will be competitive once again in Sochi. We can score points with both cars and we will work hard to achieve this.

“I enjoy the Sochi track: it’s going to be the third time I will have raced there. I had a very successful weekend there in GP3 and last year it was the place where I made it into Q3 for the first time in Formula One. Those are some good memories and hopefully we will have more of them when we return.

“The track is quite fun to drive, especially the final sector, which is my favourite. There are a lot of left-right changes of direction and 90-degrees corners, which I really enjoy. The weather can be a bit uncertain at this time of year, but I think we can be strong if it’s wet or dry. The target is to be in the top ten in both qualifying and the race, and hopefully we can be the best of the rest.”