Ocon hails 'great team result' in Mexican GP qualifying

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Esteban Ocon delivered another scintillating performance on Saturday afternoon, the Force India driver securing a spot on the third row of tomorrow's Mexican GP grid.

Ocon clocked in P6, or best of the rest following an impressive run in Q3, although it was one which rained on team mate Sergio Perez' parade as the Mexican was hoping for a better result in front of his home crowd.

Ocon insisted however that his performance was first and foremost the result of a team effort after yesterday's issues.

"I just take it as a great team result," said the French driver.

"It's fantastic to see that after a good night of work, we managed to put the car back, because yesterday it was really hard to drive. Great job from the team to bring more performance today.

Vettel snatches pole from Verstappen in Mexico

"Everybody at the track and back at the factory worked hard to make some improvements and I could really feel the difference today.

"They gave me a really strong car and during the session the pace just got better and better.

"I actually made a small mistake on my final lap in Q3 so maybe I could have been even faster and ahead of Raikkonen.

"Even so, I’m really pleased with this result and excited for the race. We have strong race pace, good top speed and the potential is there for a very strong result."

It's been a tight mid-field battle lately between Force India and Renault, but Ocon is relying on his race pace to keep ahead of the yellow cars tomorrow.

"Normally we have a stronger pace in the race than in qualifying. From where we are positioned, if you stay in front here it's quite difficult to overtake, and we are fast on the straight, so hopefully we won't see them much."

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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.