Share

'Mistakes' cost Force India in McLaren battle

Cape Town - Force India could have finished this season in sixth place were it not for "some mistakes" in the final few races, says Otmar Szafnauer

Going into administration mid-season, Force India lost all their points as they went from Sahara Force India to Racing Point Force India. 

That, though, didn't stop their momentum. 

In nine races as Racing Point, Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon bagged 52 points as they tried to chase down McLaren for sixth. 

They fell 10 points shy of the Woking team's tally. 

"Sixth was possible, but we just made some mistakes in the last few races," Szafnauer told Autosport. 

"Singapore was a big one, and we had a brake failure in Mexico. So that cost us sixth. 

"There were points in the race [in Abu Dhabi] when we were mathematically ahead of McLaren, as before we pitted we were running fifth and sixth, but you've got to wait until the end. 

"We're happy-ish. From where we were in Spa, sixth was achievable, but seventh is not bad. 

"In Spa we were last, so to come back to seventh was pretty good."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE