British GP - Force India drives preview quotes

Nico Hulkenberg
2013 Qualifying - 14th, 2013 Race - 10th
"[Silverstone is] definitely one of my favourite races. We had a full house at the last race in Austria and I expect the same at Silverstone. The fans are great and it's a race with so much history. Because it's the home of the team, I can spend a lot of time at the factory seeing the faces that I don't get to see that often. There's always a good feeling about the whole week. All of the drivers enjoy the quick parts of the lap and you have to be committed. When you hook up all the corners in one lap it's a great feeling. It's difficult to know how the harder compounds will impact us, but I hope I can continue my run of points."

Sergio Perez
2013 Qualifying - 13th, 2013 Race - 20th
"[Austria] was a very strong race for us and an important result. I think we had the pace to fight for a podium, but allowing for the circumstances I think we did a good job. The approach we take is to think about how we can be competitive over a 70 lap race. In the last few events I've done really well, apart from Monaco, where we didn't have the opportunity. We're getting there, but it's just unfortunate that we've been unlucky. I think Silverstone will be a bit more of a challenge compared to the last few races, but I am sure we can still do a good job. It's a track I enjoy and I usually go well there. We have been performing solidly on every track so far and I see no reason we can't put in a similar performance this weekend. It's also the team's local race so this adds an extra motivation for us to do well."

Dr Vijay Mallya, Force India team principal
"[Austria] was a very good boost, especially for Checo, after what happened in Montreal. He got the fastest lap too, which I think says a lot. It was important to get both cars in the points to hold onto our fourth place in the championship, although I think we could have done a bit better with Nico. Silverstone is special for us; we regard it as our home track. We'll pull out all the stops and put on a good performance. We have to get out of this mindset of saying we are good on this track and not so good on another track. We need to be competitive on all tracks, which has been the case so far this year."

Formula1.com

Daniel Juncadella to make F1 practice debut at British GP

 


Daniel Juncadella will make his Formula 1 free practice debut with Force India at the British Grand Prix.

The Mercedes DTM racer and Force India reserve will take over Nico Hulkenberg's car for the first free practice session at Silverstone on Friday morning.

The 23-year-old Spaniard has previously driven for the Silverstone-based squad in pre-season testing and May's post-Spanish GP test at Barcelona, as well as conducting simulator duties.

"I've been waiting for this moment for a very long time and it goes to show that hard work and determination can get you there," Juncadella said.

"Since the start of the year back in Jerez, where I got my first chance to drive the car, I've been working very hard with the team and I've definitely learned a lot.

"My second outing in Barcelona, and all the hours we've spent together on the simulator, have given me plenty of confidence.

"This is also the team's local race, which makes a day I will never forget even more special."

Autosport.com

Austria GP - Race - Force India driver quotes

Sergio Perez, 6th
"Today we got a very positive result for the team, especially considering where we started the afternoon. When you start in 16th it is always going to be difficult to make up ground, but I had a very strong start and made up a good few positions. It was especially important to pass Jenson [Button] because he was on a similar strategy to mine: it was a key moment for my race. The strategy worked; we showed once more that we can manage the tyres well, and we had a very strong race pace, as we have had all year. It was nice to be in the lead for a while, although we obviously knew that the cars behind us were on a different strategy. The only regret is that without the grid penalty I would have been further up the grid, which would have made a big difference because we had the pace to fight for a podium today. It's nice to be back in the points after two disappointing races: the car is improving and we are in good shape."

Nico Hulkenberg, 9th
"It was quite a tough afternoon and more difficult than I was expecting. Inside the car I was struggling with the balance quite a lot, which hurt our pace and also had an impact on the tyre wear. So I think it was just a general lack of pace which stopped me from being able to get a better result. Checo obviously had better race pace, even though he was on a different strategy, so we need to understand why that was the case. It's good to continue picking up points and I had some good battles this afternoon, especially with Ricciardo on the final lap. I was fighting hard to keep him behind but he had a tyre advantage and I could not hold him off."

Vijay Mallya, Force India team principal and managing director
"All in all it's encouraging to see both our cars come home in the points to maintain our fourth place in the championship. Checo's race was particularly noteworthy when you consider that he started from P16. It was a very mature drive and he did a fantastic job of looking after the tyres and making an alternative strategy work. His pace was excellent, he set the fastest lap of the race, and he didn't put a wheel wrong. The opening lap was the key to making the strategy work because he overtook five cars. Nico's two-stop race followed a similar pattern to most of the frontrunners, but he struggled for outright pace on the soft tyres. He still picked up a couple of points – continuing his run of points in every race this year, which shows how consistent he has been. It sets us up nicely for the British Grand Prix where we will try and deliver another strong showing at our local track."

Formula1.com

Austria GP - Qualifying- Force India driver quotes

Nico Hulkenberg (10th, Q3 - no time)
"It's quite an interesting grid so it looks like there are all the ingredients for an exciting race. I felt pretty good through all of qualifying and was building up my speed nicely for Q3. It's a shame my lap in Q3 was disallowed, but it's difficult when you're pushing so hard and I obviously ran a little bit wide. At the end of the day losing the lap only changed the result by a few positions so I'm still in good shape for the race. It's been a long time since Formula One was last here so there are a lot of unanswered questions going into the race. We don't know how the different strategies will unfold, or how the tyres will behave, but I think we've shown recently that we have a very strong race car. Points will be the goal tomorrow."

Sergio Perez (11th, Q2 - 1:09.754)
"We tried to do just one flying lap on my last Q2 run but unfortunately it was not possible to put together the perfect lap. This is a very tricky circuit and we struggled to get the tyres working at their best, but I don't think that will be so much of an issue tomorrow. It will be a very challenging race and starting five places back from where we qualified won't be easy, but we need to look ahead and see what can be done to improve our position tomorrow. The first lap will be important and strategy will be crucial to get a good result because overtaking looks to be difficult around here. We have a lot of tyres available for the race so we should try and use this to our advantage to move up into the points."

Robert Fernley, Force India deputy team principal
"It's been a very solid afternoon by the team, which sets us up nicely for tomorrow. The progress made overnight and this morning solved a lot of the balance problems we experienced yesterday and we were in good shape going into qualifying. Checo was close to making Q3, but Nico made the cut only for his quick lap to be disallowed. He will line up in P10, but with the long run pace we showed yesterday both cars have every chance of moving forward and coming away with some more important points."

Formula.com

Austrian GP - Friday Practice - Force India driver quotes

Nico Hulkenberg, P1 - 1:12.072, 7th; P2 - 1:11.935, 17th
"It's a fun track. Quite a short lap, but it flows nicely. It looks easier on paper because in reality it's quite challenging and technical in many areas. The morning session was very solid; I was happy with the car straight away and the performance was there. For some reason we struggled more this afternoon on both tyre compounds and I was not as comfortable in the car: so that is where we need to analyse things tonight. One explanation could be the wind, which picked up this afternoon, but we will look deep into the data to make sure we improve things for tomorrow."

Sergio Perez, P1 - 1:12.009, 6th; P2 - 1:11.296, 13th
"It was a good day. We followed our programme and managed to learn a lot about the way both tyre compounds behave over long runs. The track is very challenging and it doesn't offer many overtaking opportunities, so grid position will be crucial for a successful weekend. There are still good margins of improvement we can extract: getting everything out of the car and doing the necessary changes to use the tyres in the best way will be our main objectives for tonight."

Otmar Szafnauer, chief operating officer
"It's been a busy day with both drivers having to learn a new track and an aero evaluation programme across both cars, which went to plan. Nico was happy with the car balance this morning, but the set-up direction we took in the afternoon, and the changing conditions, resulted in him struggling to find performance. The opposite was true with Sergio who made some progress in the afternoon, but it's fair to say we need to work hard tonight to optimise car balance on both sides of the garage. The long run pace was encouraging, but as always it's tricky to make comparisons. Hopefully the changes we make overnight will allow us to move closer to the sweet spot so that we are in good shape ahead of qualifying."

Formula1.com 

Force India request Perez penalty review

Force India have lodged an official request for Sergio Perez's five-place grid penalty to be reviewed in the light of "new elements" relating to his last-lap collision with Williams' Felipe Massa at the previous round in Canada.

The FIA stewards at this weekend's Grand Prix in Austria will meet on Friday morning to determine whether the additional evidence warrants further investigation of the incident.

Should they decide it does, a hearing to review the penalty decision will be convened later the same day. Both Perez and Massa would be obliged to attend the secondary meeting.

Montreal stewards deemed that Perez had changed his racing line while defending fourth place from Massa on the final run down to Turn 1 in Canada, causing the impact which pitched both men into the barriers at speed.

Formula1.com 
 

Austria GP - Force India - Preview quotes

Nico Hulkenberg
"Together with Russia, this race is one of the big question marks for everyone this year. The track has some long straights and a few slow corners that should suit us, and we can count on making the most of softer compounds as we did in Canada. When you go to a new track it's even more important to maximise the practice sessions because there is so much more to learn. The lap is quite short so the gaps between the cars will be minimal and even small mistakes can make a big difference. We have shown once more to be both competitive and consistent, but we will need to keep our guard up and keep working hard as we did from the start. There will be tracks where we will be stronger and where we can capitalise on the opportunities we have, and tracks that will be more of a challenge. I know what plans the team has for the rest of the season and I see no reason why we cannot keep battling at the level we are at now."

Sergio Perez
"I don't really know what to expect because it's my first visit to the track, but I'm really looking forward to going there. It's a circuit that not many people know and so it can give you an opportunity to find a small advantage. You have to learn fast and be ready to adapt. A new circuit is always a bit more of a challenge, but it's interesting and I like the look of the track layout. I think the layout of the track will work well for our car. Hopefully we will have the opportunity for another strong performance there."

Dr Vijay Mallya, Force India team principal
"The last time Formula One raced [in Austria], the cars were very different from what they are now so it is difficult to predict how the pecking order will be. We don't expect massive surprises, however - cars that have been competitive so far will retain their advantage. The track layout seems likely to be favourable to the characteristics of the VJM07, but the competitive order is very tight and we will need to be performing at our best to come away with a good result.

"Nico drove a brilliant race [in Canada] to score another ten points, but up until the last lap it looked like being an even sweeter result with both cars very well placed. The accident for Sergio on the last lap took that away from us, but we should not forget the positives: our tyre management was excellent and we were able to race at the front and challenge for the win. It was one of our strongest races. By no means are we going to ease off at this point. The development race is not going to stop: we are working hard to bring updates to the car and give our drivers an even better chance to score big results."

Formula1.com 

Canadian GP - Race - Force India driver quotes

Nico Hulkenberg, 5th
"It has been a very busy race for me today, so to come away with ten points and a fifth place is a good result. I gained some positions at the end due to the crash between Sergio and Massa but lost one to Jenson [Button] when I was in a battle with Alonso, but we were always going to finish in the points regardless. The safety car at the start didn't help me as it allowed those on supersoft tyres to stretch their stints. Being on a different strategy from everyone else meant I always had someone pushing close behind me: it was fun, but also very challenging, especially towards the end of the race as I had quite a long stint on the supersoft tyres. Stopping only once I had a bigger challenge managing the tyres compared to the two-stoppers, but I think we got the right reward for it. I think it was the fastest strategy for us today and to be the only two cars to manage a one-stopper is definitely a positive."

Sergio Perez, 11th
"On the final lap I was defending my position going into Turn 1 when I suddenly got hit from behind. It was a big impact, but I am okay. I'm really sad for the team because we had an amazing race today and the one-stop strategy was working perfectly. It was not easy in the final laps and I was pushing hard to try and get ahead of Nico [Rosberg] for the lead. Daniel [Ricciardo] managed to get ahead of me when I had an electrical issue with my car, but I managed to reset the system for the final couple of laps. The podium was possible today and I'm just very disappointed for the points we have lost."

Robert Fernley, Force India deputy team principal
"The most important thing today is that Checo is okay after that very heavy impact on the final lap. He had done a fantastic race, challenging for the lead for a large part of the afternoon and holding on to what was shaping up to be a very strong result. Unfortunately, this was not to be, but we will focus on the positives and build on the performance we showed today at the coming races. Nico delivered another very solid performance, making the most of an alternative one-stop strategy. He drove smartly to resist incredible pressure towards the end of the race and was able to bring home another good haul of points. As in previous rounds, our pace looked really strong in the race and we are confident we will be translating it into another good performance in Austria."

Formula1.com
 

Canadian GP Qualifying - Force India driver quotes

Nico Hulkenberg (11th, Q2 - 1:16.300)
“I was close to making the top ten - just half a tenth would have made the difference, but I think we’ve known since yesterday it was going to be quite tight in qualifying. Having said that, P11 is a good starting position: it gives us some flexibility in terms of the strategy; I get to choose my starting tyres, and I’m feeling quite optimistic about our race pace. The pack is very close in terms of performance but it should be an interesting race because it’s a circuit where overtaking is possible and history has shown that anything can happen here.”

Sergio Perez (13th, Q2 - 1:16.472)
“It was quite a tricky qualifying session that turned out to be a bit harder than we expected. I’m starting P13, but I’m still feeling very positive about our chances in the race because this is such an unusual track where you can move up the field and take advantage of whatever happens in the race. We have good top speed and that will certainly be important tomorrow. I think we have shown already this year that Sunday is what counts and I’m confident that we can score points and beat some of the cars ahead of us. We will need to get the strategy right - it's always a choice between one and two stops here and we'll need to evaluate which one gives us the best chance for the race.”

Robert Fernley, Force India deputy team principal
“It was a very tight qualifying session today. Starting in P11 and P13 means we are not in bad shape, but some of the teams around us seemed to have the edge today and we just missed out on Q3 by a small margin. In terms of car performance both drivers are feeling comfortable and the set-up changes made overnight moved us in the right direction, which gives us every reason to feel more optimistic for tomorrow. The race pace of most of the mid-pack teams has been quite similar and we are certainly up there and in contention to race for some good points on Sunday.”

Formula1.com
 

Canadian GP - Friday Practice- Force India Driver quotes

Nico Hulkenberg, P1 - 1:18.733, 11th; P2 - 1:17.712, 13th
“We’ve had a pretty good day of practice, although there is obviously more work to be done. The car feels very driveable around the circuit, but I feel there is more to come from it, especially on the super-soft tyres. Our target is to squeeze out a bit more performance overnight. The whole field is very competitive and close here and finding the perfect balance will be crucial. It's about getting all the pieces of the puzzle together and having a clean lap in qualifying.”
Sergio Perez, P1 - 1:18.959, 12th; P2 - 1:17.819, 14th
“It was quite a normal day of practice. Trying some different settings and aero parts this morning, and then looking at the soft and super-soft tyres in the afternoon. It went to plan, apart from a small problem at the end of the day, which is why we had to finish our session a little earlier than expected. The positive thing, however, is that we have good information to improve our performance tomorrow. We have a fair bit of work to do tonight to get in the best shape possible for tomorrow's qualifying and obviously for the race on Sunday.”

Robert Fernley, deputy team principal
"We’ve had a solid day of practice and we're quite satisfied with things. The only real issue was a small problem with Sergio's car, which cost us the last few minutes of the afternoon. Despite this, the feared rain didn't materialise and we could use the two sessions to go through almost our entire programme. We were able to complete the necessary long runs and we tested both tyre compounds extensively. Our race pace looks better than our one-lap pace, but the track here in Montreal tends to evolve significantly during the weekend so there will be some set-up changes to make ahead of qualifying to find the sweet spot for the car.”

Formula1.com

British GP upgrade will define Force India's 2014

 

Force India deputy chief Bob Fernley is confident the major upgrade planned for July's British Grand Prix can keep it in contention for fourth in the Formula 1 constructors' championship.

The Silverstone-based squad has scored 67 points in 2014 and is behind only Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari in the standings, with main rivals McLaren and Williams both 15 points behind.

But while playing down any realistic ambitions of breaking into the top three, Fernley is confident improvements to the Force India VJM07 will allow it to continue to score well.

"I think it's probably a bridge too far [challenging for the top three] but you never know," Fernley told AUTOSPORT.

"We have still got upgrades coming in, so we will get the upgrades in at Silverstone and then reassess.

"You never want to give away opportunities and we won't stop fighting.

"Monaco was a very good weekend for us, we were really solid all weekend and exactly where we wanted to be - consolidating that fourth place."

Force India ceased development of its 2013 car relatively early last year, which has paid dividends in its strong start to this season.
But Fernley stressed that there are no plans to let up in the upgrade programme for the current car.

"I don't think there is any point in stopping because next year's car is just an evolution of this year's," he said.

"Anything you are investing on this year is going to apply for next year, so we will be developing all the way through the year."

While the Force India has been only a marginal Q3 contender during the previous two race weekends, with its drivers ending up 10th and 12th fastest in qualifying, Fernley believes that race results are the true measure of the team's level.

"Sometimes, within the media world, we are looking at one-lap pace and judging cars on one-lap pace but you have to judge cars on racecraft," said Fernley.

"That's where we make our points and we have constantly been in the points all the way through.

"Our drivers are of excellent calibre and we are consistently getting them both into the points.

"We should be judged more on our championship position. It's not just about pure pace."

AUTOSPORT SAYS...
Remember when the prospect of Force India scoring points was laughable?
In its first season after the former Jordan/Midland/Spyker squad was rebranded Force India following its acquisition by Vijay Mallya, the team drew a blank.
But to the credit of Mallya and the hard work of everyone at the team, it has consistently improved.

In 2009, Force India started scoring again, largely thanks to an aerodynamically efficient car that flew at Spa and Monza but not elsewhere, before emerging as a consistent minor points scorer in '10.
From 2010-13, Force India consolidated and always finished either sixth or seventh in the constructors' championship, evolving into an efficient squad that you noticed more when it wasn't in the points than when it was, such was the extent to which expectations changed.
It is profoundly difficult to move up from that position. But this year, Force India does have a realistic shot at holding on to fourth place, even though it will be tough with McLaren and Williams snapping at its heels.

It has the Mercedes engine, comfortably the best on the grid, and through heavy scoring and if it can continue to do that, it will take some catching even though teams such as Williams and Lotus should, on paper, be outperforming it.
On top of that, there was Sergio Perez's impressive podium finish in Bahrain, another significant milestone in the re-emergence of a team that, as Jordan, was famed for punching above its weight and snapping at the heels of the big guns.

There is a glass ceiling for what a team like Force India can achieve. But it deserves huge credit not only for reaching it, but pushing it that little bit higher this year.

Autosport.com

Candian GP - Force India Driver quotes

Nico Hulkenberg
2013 Qualifying - 11th, 2013 Race - DNF
"Monaco was not our strongest track, or our weakest track, but we still brought the car home for a great result - it's my best run of results in Formula One and I'm really enjoying the racing. I've said many times that consistency is our strength and we showed that again. It's difficult to say how we will perform in Montreal. In theory it should be one of the better tracks for us, but things change from race to race. It's good that we have the soft and supersoft tyres again because I think the softer tyres are more suited to our car. As an overall event the Canadian Grand Prix is one of my favourites because of the buzz around the city and the unusual track. To get a quick lap you need good top speed, a car that can attack the curbs and you also have to be brave enough to get close to the walls."

Sergio Perez
2013 Qualifying - 12th, 2013 Race - 11th
"I have very good memories from Montreal. In 2012 I started at the back of the grid and managed to finish in third place. It was an amazing race and my one-stop strategy worked perfectly. It was my second podium in Formula One and a great feeling - one I hope to experience again soon. It's another track where you need good top speed and traction from the slow corners. You also have to maximise the limits of the track to be quick and get really close to the walls, so it's easy to make a mistake. After a very disappointing race in Monaco, I just want to get back in the car and get the best possible result for my team. Points will be the target."

Dr Vijay Mallya, Force India team principal
"We are now a third of the way into the season and we've shown that we have a car that can constantly deliver whatever the track. We've been in the points in every race, which is very motivating for everyone in the team and helps pump us up even more. There are some strong teams behind us, but we are holding our own and will continue pushing hard. [Canada] should be a good one for us. However, gone are the days when you can hope to have results simply based on what tracks should suit you. This game has changed too much. There are so many variables in racing that we don't take anything for granted."

Formula1.com 

Force India will keep fighting up the order - Mallya

 Vijay Mallya thinks Force India has proven it has a car which can "constantly deliver whatever the track" and wants to see the team continue to fight higher up the order.

Force India has enjoyed a great start to the season, with Sergio Perez taking the team's first podium since 2009 in Bahrain and Nico Hulkenberg currently fifth in the drivers' standings. Hulkenberg crossed the line fifth in Monaco on another competitive weekend for the team and, though he is aware the battle with fellow Mercedes customers Williams and McLaren for fourth will be fierce, team principal Mallya predicts Force India can continue to keep the pace.

"We've been in the points in every race, which is very motivating for everyone in the team and helps pump us up even more," Mallya said. "There are some strong teams behind us, but we are holding our own and will continue pushing hard.

"The battle for fourth place is going to be intense as the season develops, but at the moment we are firmly in fourth with 15 points advantage over fifth place. We are now a third of the way into the season and we've shown that we have a car that can constantly deliver whatever the track."

Mallya believes Force India can continue its good form in Canada but is wary of a backlash after such a good start to the season.

"[Canada] should be a good one for us. However, gone are the days when you can hope to have results simply based on what tracks should suit you. This game has changed too much. There are so many variables in racing that we don't take anything for granted. For example, the weather often plays a role in Montreal and that could reset everything."

En.espnf1.com

Hulkenberg buoyed by best career form

 

 Nico Hulkenberg says his current run of results is the best form of his F1 career and is keen to continue with a strong showing in Canada.

Hulkenberg has finished in the points in every race since returning to Force India, as well as recording five finishes in the top six, enough to put him fifth overall in the drivers' standings. His performances have helped Force India rise to fourth in the constructors' championship and Hulkenberg admits he is full of confidence.

"It's my best run of results in Formula One and I'm really enjoying the racing," Hulkenberg said. "I've said many times that consistency is our strength and we showed that again in Monaco with another fifth place. Monaco was not our strongest track, or our weakest track, but we still brought the car home for a great result."

Hulkenberg expects Force India to be in good shape again in Canada this weekend.

"It's difficult to say how we will perform in Montreal. In theory it should be one of the better tracks for us, but things change from race to race. It's good that we have the soft and supersoft tyres again because I think the softer tyres are more suited to our car.

"As an overall event the Canadian Grand Prix is one of my favourites because of the buzz around the city and the unusual track. To get a quick lap you need good top speed, a car that can attack the curbs and you also have to be brave enough to get close to the walls."

En.espnf1.com