Adrian Sutil may have spent 2012 on the sidelines, but he started the
2013 season as if he’d never been away, taking his Force India to a
strong seventh place finish in Australia. The 30-year-old German has
scored points on three other occasions since then, but found himself
outside of the top ten in both Germany and Hungary - something he’s
determined to make amends for when the second half of the season gets
underway in Belgium in less than two weeks’ time…
Q: Adrian, there’s a lot of talk at the moment about who might move where in the driver market. You’ve stayed remarkably quiet. Do you know something that we don’t?
Adrian Sutil: To be honest, I‘m focused on now and on the next races. There are so many rumours flying around, but my guess is that nobody really knows what’s going on behind closed doors. Formula One is a complicated sport where a lot of aspects have to be taken into account before decisions are made - and sometimes these decisions are quite surprising! (laughs)
Q: You seem to have justified the faith Force India showed by giving you a race seat in 2013. How much of a desire is there on your part to stay where you are?
AS: If I do my job well and they are happy, there will be good possibilities to stay. Sahara Force India will be the first team we talk with about the 2014 season.
Q: It is every driver’s desire to move to the very top. If you could make a wish that comes true, where would you want to go?
AS: Every driver has the goal to win races and to fight for the championship. If you don’t have that burning desire you’re in the wrong place. But, of course, you need the right car to fight for wins. So naturally the best car is what I want to be in. So unsurprisingly Ferrari and Mercedes are F1 teams that I like very much. But I guess that answer doesn’t really come as a surprise…
Q: Why?
AS: Both are very big, iconic brands and have a long tradition in Formula One racing.
Q: How sure are you that you’ll stay in F1? Do you have a ‘plan B’ in the back of your head?
AS: No plan B. My one and only plan is to have a long and successful career in F1!
Q: Your team mate, Paul di Resta, has said that the team has let things slip in the last couple of races - how do you see that?
AS: All of us, the drivers and the team, should push very hard to be successful. We had a very strong start to the season, but for the last few races it’s much closer in the midfield so the tension is up. But there should be some circuits in the second half where we can be strong again.
Q: Force India have had small slumps in the past, but then picked up when the calendar moves to circuits that have suited the car better, such as Spa and Monza. How likely is that to happen again this year?
AS: Well, we have to see how much the others will improve over the next weeks, but yes, my hope is that the next circuits will make things easier again for us. It’s a nice and cozy feeling to be a permanent point-scorer so we want to get back there!
Q: What have you been doing so far in the summer break and what do you have planned for the remaining time you have off? Will you be relaxing?
AS: I had a very nice fitness week in Finland with my coach. The rest of the time I will stay at ‘home, sweet home’ and relax. I’ll be doing normal things that you hardly have time to do when you’re permanently travelling, like going to the movies or doing the couch-potato thing in front of the TV. Or I’ll play the piano.
Q: The next stop on the calendar is Spa, a track where Force India had its moments of glory in the past. Are you expecting something similar in two weeks’ time?
AS: Yes, I’m convinced we will be strong in Spa. I like the circuit very much. It’s a really challenging one - a racers track! So watch out for us!
Source: Formula1.com
Q: Adrian, there’s a lot of talk at the moment about who might move where in the driver market. You’ve stayed remarkably quiet. Do you know something that we don’t?
Adrian Sutil: To be honest, I‘m focused on now and on the next races. There are so many rumours flying around, but my guess is that nobody really knows what’s going on behind closed doors. Formula One is a complicated sport where a lot of aspects have to be taken into account before decisions are made - and sometimes these decisions are quite surprising! (laughs)
Q: You seem to have justified the faith Force India showed by giving you a race seat in 2013. How much of a desire is there on your part to stay where you are?
AS: If I do my job well and they are happy, there will be good possibilities to stay. Sahara Force India will be the first team we talk with about the 2014 season.
Q: It is every driver’s desire to move to the very top. If you could make a wish that comes true, where would you want to go?
AS: Every driver has the goal to win races and to fight for the championship. If you don’t have that burning desire you’re in the wrong place. But, of course, you need the right car to fight for wins. So naturally the best car is what I want to be in. So unsurprisingly Ferrari and Mercedes are F1 teams that I like very much. But I guess that answer doesn’t really come as a surprise…
Q: Why?
AS: Both are very big, iconic brands and have a long tradition in Formula One racing.
Q: How sure are you that you’ll stay in F1? Do you have a ‘plan B’ in the back of your head?
AS: No plan B. My one and only plan is to have a long and successful career in F1!
Q: Your team mate, Paul di Resta, has said that the team has let things slip in the last couple of races - how do you see that?
AS: All of us, the drivers and the team, should push very hard to be successful. We had a very strong start to the season, but for the last few races it’s much closer in the midfield so the tension is up. But there should be some circuits in the second half where we can be strong again.
Q: Force India have had small slumps in the past, but then picked up when the calendar moves to circuits that have suited the car better, such as Spa and Monza. How likely is that to happen again this year?
AS: Well, we have to see how much the others will improve over the next weeks, but yes, my hope is that the next circuits will make things easier again for us. It’s a nice and cozy feeling to be a permanent point-scorer so we want to get back there!
Q: What have you been doing so far in the summer break and what do you have planned for the remaining time you have off? Will you be relaxing?
AS: I had a very nice fitness week in Finland with my coach. The rest of the time I will stay at ‘home, sweet home’ and relax. I’ll be doing normal things that you hardly have time to do when you’re permanently travelling, like going to the movies or doing the couch-potato thing in front of the TV. Or I’ll play the piano.
Q: The next stop on the calendar is Spa, a track where Force India had its moments of glory in the past. Are you expecting something similar in two weeks’ time?
AS: Yes, I’m convinced we will be strong in Spa. I like the circuit very much. It’s a really challenging one - a racers track! So watch out for us!
Source: Formula1.com
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