Ocon brushes off F1 teammate Perez's extra pressure claim

Esteban Ocon has dismissed Force India Formula 1 teammate Sergio Perez's claim that he will be under more pressure to perform in 2018, saying he is happy to have people taking notice of his strong on-track performances.

Ocon ran Perez close at Force India during his first full F1 season, finishing just 13 points behind in the drivers' championship as the pair enjoyed a number of close battles throughout the season.

Ocon brushes off F1 teammate Perez's extra pressure claim

Esteban Ocon has dismissed Force India Formula 1 teammate Sergio Perez's claim that he will be under more pressure to perform in 2018, saying he is happy to have people taking notice of his strong on-track performances.

Ocon ran Perez close at Force India during his first full F1 season, finishing just 13 points behind in the drivers' championship as the pair enjoyed a number of close battles throughout the season.

While praising his teammate's displays through 2017, Perez said he felt Ocon would be under more pressure to perform next year as he would be expected to replicate his impressive season with Force India.

When asked to respond to Perez's comments, Ocon brushed them off, denying he would feel more pressure.

"I feel alright if everyone is watching me for that so people are expecting me to do well which is always positive," Ocon said.

"I don’t have more pressure, I will work the same way with the team with dedication and train the same way.

"I won’t change much, except that I’m a different driver now compared to the beginning of the year. I’ve been learning so much more which will help me at the start of the year like knowing the tracks – Australia, China, Monaco – all that will help me."

With more than a season's worth of races now under his belt, Ocon said the biggest thing he has learned is to leave no stone unturned and stress over minor details in order to improve on-track performance.

"You can’t let any details hang there. Any small issues, you can’t leave it," Ocon said.

"They will come back bigger, so any details you can fix, you have to fix.

"That is what I’ve learnt this year and put into my performances."

Read More