Single point finish was 'hard work' for Force India - Szafnauer

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Force India put its first point of the season on the board in Bahrain, thanks to the relentless efforts of Esteban Ocon, but it was hard work for the team and its driver.

In a race which never offered a moment of respite, Ocon was hoping for a better result after lining up P8 on the grid. F1's mid-field battle takes no prisoners however, and the Frenchman was fighting and defending left and right from start to finish.

"We had to work very hard to score the final point tonight," admitted Force India COO Otmar Szafnauer.

"Esteban did an excellent job of chasing down Sainz in the final few laps and put significant pressure on him to overtake him and move back into the top ten.

F1i's Driver Ratings for the Bahrain GP

"It was marginal as to whether it would be a one or a two stop race, but I think we called it about right with both cars."

A contact at the start between Sergio Perez and Toro Rosso's Brendon Hartley impacted the Mexican's race from the outset. On the road, Perez was left chasing all evening, and to make matters worse, he was handed a 30-second penalty for overtaking Hartley on the formation lap!

"Sergio’s race was compromised heavily by the contact with Hartley on the opening lap where we were simply the innocent victim.

"There was big contact, which damaged the floor quite significantly and impacted performance. The spin dropped him to the back of the field and a slow puncture forced him to pit early and adopt a two-stop strategy.

"To recover to P12 was a tremendous effort in the circumstances."

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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.