Best of the rest Ocon hails 'fantastic' sixth-place result

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Esteban Ocon got his mojo back in Monaco, the Force India driver executing a flawless race to deliver a sixth place finish to himself and the Silverstone-based outfit.

Ocon held his own in the challenging 78-lap race, concluding his day of racing where he started thanks to an impeccable performance and the perfect strategy from the pink outfit.

"A fantastic result today. I’m really happy and it was great fun," said the Frenchman.

"The pace we had was impressive and the team did a fantastic job with the strategy.

"We had a great understanding of the tyres and there were times during the race when we were the fastest car on track."

Ricciardo thought his race was over with MGU-K issues

Indeed, Ocon upped the pace in the closing stages of the race, reducing the gap to Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas and finishing hot on the heels of the Ferrari-Mercedes duo.

"In the final few laps I was catching Bottas and Raikkonen by over a second per lap and I was right behind them at the end.

"It feels great to get this result and a good bunch of points after a few disappointing races. I hope we can have many more weekends like this one."

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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.