Esteban Ocon has impressed Force India team principal and co-owner Vijay Mallya during his rookie season with the team, with Mallya admitting the Frenchman's pace took him by surprise.
Ocon has scored 43 points in the opening ten races of the season with a best fifth place finish at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Ocon has failed to score in only one race, in Monaco, and sits just nine points behind his far more experienced team-mate, Sergio Perez.
Mallya is therefore expecting a lot more from the 20-year-old as his experience grows over the coming races and seasons with Force India, having signed a multi-year deal, which Mallya says is the reward for taking a chance on the youngster.
"Esteban has come up to speed really well and is quicker than I thought – it’s fantastic," said the 71-year-old team boss.
"We had a tough call to make over the winter about who our driver was going to be. There were only rookies available and I think we made the right choice.
"He’s only going to mature and get better. You know that experience is hugely important, and the more experience he gets the better he’s going to become.
"He has the talent, which has showed already. I’m happy we have him signed up on a multi-year contract, so I’m expecting regular point-scoring finishes from him."
Discussion about this post