Esteban Ocon hoped for something more at his United States Grand Prix than the result of eighteenth on Sunday.
The Manor Racing MRT driver had a good start to the Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, as he quickly climbed up the grid. He was unable to stick with these positions though and dropped gradually down the grid. Ocon was the final finisher in eighteenth, with a total of four drivers retiring.
Ocon admits it probably wasn’t a good idea to start the race on Sunday on the Medium compound as he was sliding around quite a bit early on.
“It was a great start. I gained six places I think,” said Ocon. “Obviously, I dropped back gradually through the lap and then the tyres were sliding around quite a bit. I don’t think it was such a good idea to start on the Medium tyre, but even so, the early part of the race was good.”
From here though, Ocon’s race dropped massively as damage he sustained affected the balance. It was becoming harder for the Frenchman to drive the car and in the end he was pleased to see the chequered flag.
“It seems that I picked up some damage that affected the balance,” added Ocon. “The team spotted something in the data and we tried to manage the situation, particularly during the pit stops.
“But it was harder to drive the car and in the end I was just pleased to get to the finish. I was hoping for something more but it was good to get both cars home at least, to reward all the hard work by the team.”
