Force India progress warrants 'good points' in Spain - Ocon

Given Force India's ambitions and on the back of the team's performance in Baku, Esteban Ocon won't settle for anything less than a good bag of points in Barcelona.

The Frenchman lucked out in Azerbaijan, sidelined at the outset after a terminal first lap clash with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen.

It was a bitter blow for Ocon after a good performance in qualifying, when he edged out team mate Sergio Perez for P7.

"It was disappointing not to finish the race in Baku, especially since we had such strong pace," said Ocon in his team's Spanish Grand Prix preview.

"I know this is how racing goes sometimes and you have to learn from it and look ahead.

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"Heading to Spain really feels like coming home after all the long flights in the first part of the year.

"Barcelona is probably the track I know the most – it’s the first track I drove in single seaters at the start of my career.

"We test a lot there so we know the place well and we get our hospitality buildings back so it feels much more like a familiar environment."

In addition to the familiar turf he'll be racing on, the 21-year-old pink panther will also take in the particular atmosphere associated with this weekend's venue which is almost a home race for him.

"Barcelona itself is wonderful: it’s a place that feels young with a relaxed atmosphere and the weather is amazing," added Ocon.

"Part of my family lives in the city and it’s very close to where I was training this winter, so I know the place by heart now.

"Last year we did really well there; the pace was good all over the weekend and we raced really well. We have been making good progress with the car recently so we have to target some good points."

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