Esteban Ocon believes Force India is "not far 💟off Red Bull" in terms of long-run pace heading into the new For🐭mula 1 season after enjoying the team's most productive day of pre-season testing so far.

Ocon managed to rack up 130 laps behind the wheel of the Force India VJM11 in💫 Wednesday's test session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, finishing 12th-fastest overall, 2.7 seconds behind pace-setter Daniel Ricciardo in the Red Bull RB14.

"We are really happy about today. That’s what we needed after the difficult conditions the 🧜other day and yesterday withꦍ not so much running," Ocon said.

"It’s what we needed -✃ a clean day today. We did most of our programme and it will make us move forward i😼n the future that day and we understood plenty so there’s plenty to analyse. We are quite happy with today."

Force India has acknowledged it faces a tall order to retain fourth place in the F1 constructors' championship wherไe it has finished for the past two seasons given the strength of the better-funded Renault and McLaren teams, but Ocon is quietly confident about its pace.

"We will see where we are in Melbourne, that’s the most importanಞt thing," Ocon sai💖d.

"Today was a good day, plenty of mileage under our ꦍbelt and long runs look promising - not far off Red Bull I think, so we are quite happy."

When told 𒆙that Red Bull finished P1, Ocon 𒉰said: "I know they were P1. You will see."

Pre-season testing continues in Barcelona on Thursday before concluding with Friday's session, when Ocon is slated to return to the VJM11 car for Foce Ind🎐ia.