Ocon conquers 'first point of many'

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Esteban Ocon added to Force India's tally in Australia, bringing himself home tenth to cap off a double points finish for Vijay Mallya's outfit.

The French driver fought his way up to 11th before his pink charger loomed large in the mirrors of Fernando Alonso with the two men enjoying a good scrap for 10th along with Renault's Nico Hulkenberg.

Ultimately, Ocon came out on top with seven laps to go, absolutely ecstatic about clinching his first championship point. The first of many he hopes.

"Scoring my first point in Melbourne is a very nice reward after what has been quite a tough weekend.

"I spent almost the entire race fighting against Fernando [Alonso] because we were side-by-side for the first lap of the race.

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"He was able to stay ahead and I had to chase him for the rest of the afternoon. It was a hard fight because Fernando is a tough opponent and it was so difficult to get close and overtake."

"Eventually I found a gap in the last few laps and took my chance going into turn one. It was a big moment for my race and took me into the points."

Ocon will take away from Australia the joy of his result and another batch of valuable experience.

"I’m happy with the result and I feel I’ve learned a huge amount from my first race weekend with this team. I hope this is the first point of many this season."

GALLERY: all the pics from Sunday's action

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.