Ocon hails 'unbelievable' Force India pace

The Monaco Grand Prix has been dubbed as boring by some fans and a lot of the Formula One drivers out there, with Lewis Hamilton even describing it as one of the worst ever, but Esteban Ocon was one of the rare few to enjoy the race on Sunday.

The Force India driver secured his best finish of the 2018 season at the weekend, as he completed the race in sixth, and he believes this result could kickstart not only his, but Force India's season as a whole.

“I definitely hope so,” Ocon said to formula1.com when asked if he thinks the points finish could be the first of many.

“It hasn’t been an easy start, but with the pace [on Sunday] we have I think we can carry that over the next weekends.”

Ocon held off the likes of Pierre Gasly, Nico Hulkenberg, and Max Verstappen to claim his best ever finish at the Circuit de Monaco, and he believes he was helped by the "unbelievable" pace of his vehicle, which is powered by a Mercedes engine.

“The pace we had in the car was unbelievable,” he added. “I was quickest on track at some points which was very, very impressive. I was catching Raikkonen and Bottas by one second a lap at some point.

“I think our understanding of the tyres was really really good, really strong. Today I’m more than happy, the boys are really happy, and I’m looking forward to many more weekends like that.

Force India have impressed over the past two campaigns despite their limited budget compared to the other constructor teams, and finished fourth in consecutive seasons in 2016 and 2017.

The team have made a stuttering start this season, but Ocon's points from Monaco have ensured they have moved up a place into sixth - seven points ahead of Toro Rosso and 14 points behind McLaren.