Force India's Esteban Ocon has admitted that Sergio Perez's podium at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was "a hard one to swallow" although the Frenchman believes that he will have other chances to finish in the top three this season.
In Azerbaijan, Ocon out qualified Perez for the second time this year to start in seventh place and despite having a strong start, failed to complete the opening lap of the race after colliding with Kimi Raikkonen in Turn 3.
Amidst the carnage, Perez was able to pick up the pieces, benefitting from a double retirement for Red Bull Racing's Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, a flat spot for Sebastian Vettel and a late-race puncture for Valtteri Bottas to stand on the final step of the podium.
"For sure it’s a hard one to swallow even though it’s great for the team, in the end, to get a comeback like this from a strong weekend where we had great pace and we made a step," said Ocon ahead of this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix.
"A hard one to swallow myself but it’s important to take the positives, which was a strong weekend for us and good points for the team.
"We needed that. In the end whether it was me or him we needed that. It’s a shame that I retired on Lap 1, it was close with Sergio [Perez] at the start and that would have been terrible because we had the pace to do well. Let’s see if we can get the step from Baku."
When asked if he thinks he can claim his maiden Formula 1 podium this season, Ocon said: "I want to definitely. I think we will still have our chance. We don’t know [what] can happen this season but yeah why not."
After four races, Force India sits in sixth place in the Constructors' Championship, locked in a five-way battle for supremacy in the midfield.
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