Hungary GP - Race- Force India driver quotes

Nico Hulkenberg, DNF
"It was not the best day in the office and I'm feeling very disappointed. The track was drying out and I was quite close behind Checo when I made contact with him at the final corner. The previous lap he had taken a much wider line so I tried to overtake on the inside, but he took a tighter line and I couldn't back out of the move. I made contact with his car, lost my front wing and went straight on into the barrier. It was my mistake and I've apologised to the team. It's especially frustrating because there was a lot of potential in this race, but I guess it was one of those days when things didn't go our way."

Sergio Perez, DNF
"It's a very disappointing end to our weekend, just when it looked like we could have scored some big points. I went a little wide on the exit kerb of the final corner, lost the rear and that was it - I was in the wall. It was a very unfortunate end to our race and I feel sorry for the team because they deserved some points today. Conditions were very difficult, the track was drying and improving, and it made you want to push to the limit, but there were some wet patches that could catch you out. We'll take the positive elements of this weekend and get back in the points in the next race."

Vijay Mallya, Force India team principal and managing director
"It is disappointing to come away from this weekend with nothing, especially as the race was shaping up nicely for us. Both Checo and Nico were on course for a points finish, but it was not our day. Sometimes, this is how motorsport is. But a negative result must not detract from our great first half of the year because this is the first race in 2014 in which we have not scored points. Despite the missed opportunity, we remain in fifth place in the championship. It was also a fantastic race for Formula One with wheel-to-wheel racing and a great show for the fans. We have the summer break now, an occasion to regroup and come back stronger in Belgium and get ready for the final eight races."

Formula1.com

Hungary GP - Qualifying- Force India driver quotes

Nico Hulkenberg (9th, Q3 - 1:24.775)
"Considering our performance this morning in final practice, I think it's a good effort by the whole team to make it through to Q3 this afternoon. The wind was affecting us quite badly, but fortunately the direction changed before qualifying and that seemed to help us. Then it was just a case of keeping calm, being nice and tidy with the laps and pushing the car as much as we could. For the race I'm feeling optimistic because our long-run performance looked reasonable yesterday and I certainly feel we can be in the battle for points. In order to make things work in our favour and beat our competitors, we need to be flexible with the strategy tomorrow as it's usually difficult to overtake here."

Sergio Perez (13th, Q2 - 1:25.211)
"It was a difficult session with the main issue being the hydraulic leak that affected my car in Q2. It meant that I was only able to do one run before I had to park in the garage. Without this I think we had the potential to reach Q3, especially because we made a good step with the balance this morning. It's a shame not to maximise our potential here on this track because it's so difficult to overtake. It means we will have to try and make up the ground tomorrow with the strategy. I'm still feeling positive about the race because our speed on Friday during the long runs looked quite strong."

Vijay Mallya, Force India team principal and managing director
"I'm pleased to see Sahara Force India through to Q3 with Nico ending the session in ninth place. Checo might have been up there too had it not been for the hydraulic problem on his car, which ended his challenge in the middle of Q2. It's frustrating but hopefully we can recover the ground he lost through intelligent strategy tomorrow. We should have the pace to take the fight to the cars ahead of us. It's expected to be hot and tyre management will be a priority once again. There's also the possibility for more rain showers tomorrow."

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Hungary GP - Friday Practice - Force India Driver quotes

Nico Hulkenberg, P1 - 1:28.101, 12th; P2 - 1:26.789, 13th
"Today was fairly reasonable: it was a routine Friday and we did a lot of running with no big issues. We got through all the test items we had on our list, so from that point of view it was a very smooth day. We still have some work to do on our one lap pace, so we can find a little time there, but when we look at our long run pace we are in a good shape. The car felt okay, which is promising at this early stage in the weekend. The key factor come Sunday will be tyre management, as in almost every race. The weather is uncertain, but it will still be hot whatever happens and we will need to make the best of this situation."

Sergio Perez, P1 - 1:28.376, 16th; P2 - 1:27.013, 15th
"It's been a difficult day, especially during running with the prime tyres. We need to go through all the data we have gathered, every single lap, and analyse it to solve the few issues we have been having. On a more positive note, we seem to be more competitive when it comes to race pace. We just need to address a few set-up options to make the most of the very tight battle in the midfield. Grid position is crucial here in Hungary because it is very difficult to overtake, so it will be important to qualify well, and this will give us a good chance on Sunday, especially with the really hot temperatures we're expecting."

Vijay Mallya, team principal and managing director
"It has been a busy day on a track that has been constantly changing and improving. We have been trying different things on the two cars, working to achieve a good balance and we were happy to complete more than 120 laps with no problems. Our race balance is promising, but we still need to work a little on the qualifying side, especially because this is a track where a good starting position is crucial. Our tyres are performing very consistently so there is a good platform on which to build overnight."

Formula1.com

Mallya refusing to rule out more podiums

 

Vijay Mallya says he has not written off Force India's chances of scoring more podium finishes in 2014.

Sergio Perez claimed a podium for the team in Bahrain, Force India's first since 2009, but in recent races the team has fallen behind fellow Mercedes customers Williams and McLaren in the pecking order. Despite this, Mallya remains optimistic the team is still heading in a positive direction.

"We need to end the season in the same way we started it," Mallya said. "The development of the VJM07 continues and much of what we learn this year can be carried over into 2015. So it's a very different situation compared with last year when we had to switch very early to develop the new car. Performance-wise we have some developments which will be on the car soon and that should give us a useful step. In terms of targets I certainly feel that more podiums are possible."

Mallya also insists he could not be happier with where Force India is currently compared to at this point in the 2013 season.

"We are in a good place and the whole team should feel proud of our performance in the first half of the season. We've scored 39 points more compared to the first half of last season and that's an indication of our consistency. We've picked up points in every race and we're in the middle of a very close fight in the championship. We are pushing hard to be even more competitive, but we've certainly delivered in the first ten races."


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Hungarian GP - Force India drivers preview quotes

Nico Hulkenberg
2013 Qualifying - 12th, 2013 Race - 11th
“The circuit is challenging and leaves little room for mistakes. The second sector has several corners that are all connected, so you need to hook them all up to be quick. If you run wide on one corner you can lose the flow of the lap. Overtaking is difficult, too, even with the DRS. There is one straight, but it’s not that long.
“It’s a good event with a nice atmosphere and lots of fans. I love the city of Budapest with the beautiful buildings and old architecture so it’s nice to explore a bit. The weather is always hot, which usually helps us and our car has worked well on tracks with slow corners so that’s a good sign.”

Sergio Perez
2013 Qualifying - 9th, 2013 Race - 9th
“Hungary is definitely a great event and it’s usually one of the hottest races of the year. It’s the last race before the summer break so you always want to do well so that you can enjoy the break, otherwise it can feel very long.
“It's a really interesting circuit and you have to think very carefully about the way you set your car up. It’s a very technical lap and you have to consider the weaknesses of your car and set it up around them. It's also very demanding on the tyres because you are always in a corner. The hot weather will make that even more challenging.
“I was a bit disappointed after Silverstone and Hockenheim because things did not really work out for me in the races. So it’s important to score some good points before the summer break.”

Formula1.com

Gernam GP - Friday practice - Force India drivers quotes

Nico Hulkenberg, P1 - 1:20.592, 13th; P2 - 1:19.593, 14th
"It was not the smoothest day, but from the team's perspective everyone is happy that we managed to get the main jobs done. It's hard to really know our absolute pace because my short run on the supersoft tyre was compromised by a couple of yellow flags. So I feel there is more performance and lap time available with a clean lap. I also think we can still find a bit of pace overnight with some balance changes."

Sergio Perez, P1 - 1:20.598, 14th; P2 - 1:19.581, 13th
"I'm feeling pretty happy about today because we finished the programme and we learned a lot. The car performed well in the afternoon, especially for the long runs, so I'm really looking forward to Sunday. We also worked hard on the qualifying pace, but I think wherever we qualify we can move forward and be in the fight for points."

Robert Fernley, deputy team principal
"Today we saw the hottest track conditions of the year with a peak of 55 degrees this afternoon. Despite the heat, both tyre compounds performed well and we collected a lot of important data. The hot weather also makes car cooling even more of a challenge and so determining our cooling levels for the weekend was one of the main tasks of the day. Performance-wise I think we can feel reasonably satisfied with the outcome of the two sessions. The long-run pace appears to be competitive, more so than in previous races, and the drivers spoke positively about the long-run balance. Tonight will be a case of ironing out the final issues and trying to optimise our one lap pace with the aim of qualifying well tomorrow."

Formula1.com 
 

GermanyGP - Preview - Force India

Nico Hulkenberg
2012 Qualifying - 5th, 2012 Race - 9th
"Even on tracks where we have been struggling slightly, we have managed to score points - for example, in Silverstone the car balance was not ideal, but we still came away with four points. I'm feeling more positive about our performance in Germany, especially with the return of the soft and supersoft tyres. I know Hockenheim really well because it was my local circuit when I was growing up. For me the trickiest corner is turn one. It's so quick at well over 200 km/h and there is a curb on the exit where it's easy to make a mistake and run wide. The other big feature is the hairpin after the back straight. It's a heavy braking zone and it is easy to run too deep and lose time. It's also a great overtaking opportunity. The racing is always good at Hockenheim so it should be a good show for the fans."

Sergio Perez
2012 Qualifying - 12th, 2012 Race - 6th
"Hockenheim should suit our car and we should be in a much stronger position. It looks like a track where we can perform well. With the softer tyres and warm temperatures it's going to be an interesting race. I like the track, especially the final sector going into the stadium area. I love attacking those corners and you can find a lot of time in this part of the lap. I spent a lot of time in Germany during my career so it's always good to go back there."

Dr Vijay Mallya, Force India team principal
"Hockenheim is a medium-speed circuit and we have done well on these sorts of tracks this year. It's also Nico's home race so I am sure he will have some extra motivation to do well. We have scored points in every race, but we need to score with both cars if we want to maintain our position in the championship. It's expected to be one of the hotter races of the year and that usually works in our favour."

Formula1.com 
 

British GP - Race - Force India driver quotes

Force India
Nico Hulkenberg, 8th
“It was quite a tricky afternoon. My start was not great; I lost a couple of places, and after that we didn’t seem to have the pace to fight for big points. I was struggling with the balance, which may have been related to the wind because it was very gusty out there. I had some good battles, especially in the early laps, but we were just missing the performance to really fight today. It’s good to score points, but starting fourth we were hoping for more. We now need to regroup and come back stronger for my home race in Germany.”

Sergio Perez, 11th
“We can't really judge what our real pace was because the contact with Vergne at the start compromised our race. We dropped down to last and from down there it was very difficult to salvage something from this race. I struggled with the prime tyre early in the race, which would have been the best time to make up the ground I had lost. The car felt a lot better on the options, after our pit-stop, but our final stint was not enough to get back into the points. It was a real disappointment after the good qualifying position we had yesterday and I feel that we deserved some points from this weekend. We need to focus on the next race in Germany and I believe Hockenheim will be more suited to our car.”

Vijay Mallya, Force India team principal and managing director
“After such a strong qualifying performance, we were naturally expecting more from today’s race. While circumstances played into our hands yesterday, today we were not so fortunate with Checo’s race heavily compromised by the contact with the Toro Rosso on lap one. The windy conditions also returned, which appeared to have an impact on our performance. On the positive side we continued our run of points finishes with Nico adding another four points to our tally. It means Nico and the team have scored in every race this season. As we near the halfway point of the season the battle in the championship is closer than ever so it’s important that we respond with a stronger showing in Germany in a couple of weeks’ time.”

Formula1.com 

British GP - Qualification - Force India drivers quotes

Nico Hulkenberg (4th, Q3 - 1:38.329)
“That worked out really well for us and I’m very happy to come away with fourth place on the grid. On days like this you just need to be in the right place, with good timing and a little bit of luck. The track conditions were changing so much and at the end of Q3 I’ve never seen a track dry so quickly. There were a few spots of rain in the middle of the session, but on my final lap it was completely dry. Fourth place sets us up nicely for tomorrow, but it’s hard to know exactly where we stand in terms of race pace. We definitely made some progress with the car balance overnight with some tweaks and it was a lot less windy today, which worked in our favour. There is an interesting grid, which will hopefully make for an exciting race for the fans.”

Sergio Perez (7th, Q3 - 1:40.457)
"Today leaves us with mixed feelings. It was very good to get both cars in Q3 and ahead of some of our most direct competitors. Had they offered us this result before the session, we would have been satisfied; however, it is also disappointing as we know we could have had an even better result. We were in P3 up to the last lap, but when the track improved and I went out for a last run I ran a bit wide in turn 12 and lost all the temperature from my tyres. I also had to let some cars through and that made it a big problem for me. Otherwise I am confident we would have improved enough to stay in the front two rows. It's a shame because we were making the tyres work really well until that moment and we were making the most of the conditions. Still, it is a very positive result and we should have a good opportunity to convert it into a good race and a lot of points. Silverstone is a very difficult place to overtake and track position is very important, so I am confident in that respect.”

Vijay Mallya, Force India team principal and managing director
“Today we had a very good result, which is always very nice in our home race. We have placed both cars in Q3 in very difficult conditions, which is a great credit to both the team and our drivers: we were on the right tyre at the right time and we reaped the rewards of some good strategy calls. It is a shame Checo was not able to finish his second lap as we thought we could retain his good position, but fourth row is still a very positive place to start and he has shown us before that he can make up positions come race day. Nico was impressive as he pulled a great lap when it mattered on a drying track. Starting fourth and seventh gives us a very good chance to score points and continue our battle in the constructors' championship. Race pace is one of our strongest assets so we can look forward to tomorrow with confidence.”

Formula1.com

British GP - Friday Practice- ForceIndia Driver quotes

Nico Hulkenberg, P2 - 1:37.449, 17th
“Just the one session for me today and it was very windy out on track. That made things more difficult, although we know it’s a common situation here at Silverstone. It was quite a normal session for me, but we need to analyse the situation better tonight to make the right conclusions for tomorrow. It’s the usual challenge of understanding the tyres and improving the balance to put ourselves in a better position.”

Sergio Perez, P1 - 1:37.720, 11th; P2 - 1:37.236, 16th
“It was quite a challenging day for us and we are a bit shy of where we would have wanted to be. We struggled with balance in both sessions and this meant we couldn't extract all the pace from the car. We knew this was going to be a hard track for us due to its layout and tonight we will need to review the set-up to find the extra couple of tenths that can get us back in the group where we belong. We have a pretty clear idea of what we need to do overnight and if we can achieve that, we should be looking much better tomorrow.”

Daniel Juncadella, P1 - 1:38.083, 14th
“It was good fun today and a great opportunity to drive my first free practice session on our home track. It’s a track I know well and everything went smoothly with no problems. The main challenge was getting the tyres working, especially because of the harder compounds being used here. The priority today was to give the team some data and feedback to help prepare the car for Nico this afternoon.”

Vijay Mallya, team principal and managing director
“The preparations for our local race saw a busy programme today with our reserve driver Daniel enjoying his first experience of driving in an official practice session. He acquitted himself very well and collected the data we needed. The windy conditions made it hard to carry out consistent testing today, making the car unstable, but in general we seem to be more comfortable with our high fuel runs compared with the low fuel balance. We still have some ideas to explore tonight and hopefully that will bring us more in line with the teams that were ahead of us on the timesheets today. The good news is that all our homework is done in terms of data collection so I think we are in reasonable shape heading into the weekend.”

Formula1.com

Force India Turn on the Heat, Make Ferrari Sweat to Retain its Third Place

 

New Delhi: Force India are in good shape to fight Formula 1 giants Ferrari for third place in the team standings, said deputy team boss Robert Fernley on their battle against the Italian manufacturer operating on a much higher budget.

According to the 2013 figures, Ferrari and Red Bull spent in excess of 200 million pounds while mid-field outfits Force India and Williams spent close to 100 million pounds, giving enough food for thought on the contentious cost cap debate in Formula 1.

Fernely said the performance of Force India and Williams in 2014 has shown that results can be achieved with a limited budget besides vindicating his team's stance on the need for a cost cap.

"We are competing consistently against a team like Ferrari, which operates on a budget more than half of what we use. It goes to show that the smaller teams can compete against the top teams," Fernley told PTI over the phone ahead of the the British Grand Prix this weekend.

Force India, who have scored in all the eight races so far, are fourth in the team standings ahead of Williams and McLaren and behind Ferrari, who are third with 97 points.

Fernley further said: "However, with so much disparity in the budgets, it is tough to be competitive against big teams in the long-run. That is why we feel it is high time F1 had a cost cap. The sport should be about intellectual ability rather than spending endlessly to be fast. A cost cap is important for the overall health of the sport."

Jean Todt, president of the motorsport governing body FIA, was forced to abandon cost cap plans from 2015 onwards.

"Well it is what is. It is pretty clear that top teams do not want a cost cap," felt Fernley.

Asked whether the lack of budget restrictions can have am impact on the future of smaller teams, he said: "Well you can survive in the current scenario but it is difficult to be competitive. Three-four teams spending significantly more than the others will perform better in the long-run."

The Indian Grand Prix is off the 2014 calendar, making British Grand Prix the sole home race for Force India, whose factory is a stone's throw from the Silverstone Circuit.

Fernely said the team is aiming for its second podium of the season.
"We brought upgrades in Australia and we will continue to make the upgrades on the car for the next two rounds (Britain and Germany). There is no reason why should aim less than a podium for Silverstone. Having said that, we are still working hard to improve the car, especially Nico's (Hulkenberg)," said Fernley referring to the German driver.

Hulkenberg has scored in every race so far despite issues with the set-up of his car.

"His results show what he can do if we give him the car suited to his driving style. It is something we have not been able to provide him yet," he said of Hulkenberg, who is sixth in the drivers' standings on 59 points.
Though the fifth-placed Williams have narrowed the gap to two points after a third and fourth-place finish in Austria, Fernley is not worried about their rivals' rise.

"The battle swings through the year. Williams had a good race in Austria and we had our most productive outing in Bahrain. I feel the fight for third place is between Force India, Ferrari and Williams but you can never ignore McLaren as well."

Amongst the number of rules ratified by the FIA last week, one will lead to standing restarts following safety car periods.
Fernley said the move will "improve the show".

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