Manor's Esteban Ocon reckons that a last place finish in the Mexican GP still entails a positive achievement, with the rookie just accumulating more experience by reaching the checkered flag.
Since he joined the ranks of Formula 1 at the Belgium Grand Prix last summer, the young French hopeful has actually finished every race he has entered, an achievement he considers important as he continues to learn the ropes of Grand Prix racing.
"I think it's good for confidence and for experience," said Ocon.
"Even if I finish last, I get to fight with the others. I had a good start, I gained places, so all in all it's experience in the pocket."
Ocon admitted however feeling a bit frustrated by his current performance slump, part of which has been traced to an issue with the stability upon entry of his Manor's front end.
"It's frustrating to go back to four or five races ago when we had good momentum, and although there were a few things that we're going wrong, Austin was also a good weekend.
"Here we struggled a lot but we know there is a problem, which is a good thing. It is clear we can see it so there's no reason we can't fix it for the next race."
Oocn's future is still up in the air, with the Frenchman still rumored to be on Force India's and Renault's short lists. Another prospect is to stay at Manor where Ocon is starting to settle in.
"I feel comfortable now with the team. They know me more, and I know them, they know what I need now regarding the car and how I want it to handle.
"They trust me as well, but it's too early to speak about next year. I trust the management side to do the job, and it's my job to focus on the track."
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