Japanese GP - Qualifying - Force India Quotes

Sergio Perez, 9th
“Starting from ninth place is not too bad all things considered and we can race well from there. It’s a shame I couldn’t complete my lap in Q3, but the main thing is that Daniil [Kvyat] is okay. Perhaps if I had the opportunity to set a time I could have been ahead of Romain [Grosjean], but hopefully I can get ahead of him at the start tomorrow because I think Lotus will be our main competition. It’s going to be a tough race because there are some quick cars ahead of us, but you never know what can happen here and we still need to see what happens with the weather. Tyre management is always important in this race and with the wet Friday there are still some question marks.”

Nico Hülkenberg, 11th
“Of course it’s disappointing to miss out on Q3 by such a small margin, but I can't complain too much about our performance today. I think my qualifying lap was pretty good and I felt I was pushing the car to its limit: unfortunately that wasn't enough, but I know it was our best effort. It's difficult to know what we can expect in tomorrow's race: the midfield battle is very tight and everyone around me will make it really hard for me to get back into the points. I had hoped to qualify a bit higher to offset my penalty, especially as this is not the easiest place to overtake. It will be interesting to see how the lack of running from yesterday will affect others: we managed to do a good job with our set-up this morning, but there are plenty of unknowns about the long run pace.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“Having lost the whole day to the rain yesterday, this morning didn't look too promising, but we worked hard leading up to qualifying and found a good direction with both cars. Checo continued his brilliant form to qualify in the top ten and starting from ninth gives him a good chance to have a strong race. Sadly, the red flag at the end of the session meant he wasn't able to put in a lap and be further up the order. Nico made a good step forward as well, but unfortunately he missed out on a place in the top ten by the smallest of margins. Of course, he'll have a bit of an uphill battle with his three-place grid penalty, but even starting from P14 he should be able to fight for points. Racing in Suzuka is never predictable, even when the weather remains dry: it's a track that punishes mistakes, so we will need to be ready to take any opportunity tomorrow.”

Formula1.com 
 

Japanese GP - Friday Practice - ForceIndia quotes

Force India

Nico Hulkenberg
FP1 - No time, FP2 - 11th
"We didn't learn a huge amount today, although we did complete a couple of useful runs on the intermediate tyres this afternoon. Of course, if it's dry on Saturday and Sunday, the work we've done today is not going to be particularly useful. It's the same situation for everybody because we are all missing the dry tyre information we need to help us prepare for the weekend. However, we have run on the hard and medium compounds at other races and we've already got a good understanding of those tyres. If the weather does improve tomorrow we will probably run a bit more than usual in FP3 to try and make up for the lack of mileage today."

Sergio Perez
FP1 - No time, FP2 - 14th
"It was wet all day and so we didn't do a lot of laps, which means we are going into the weekend with quite a few question marks. We need to try and answer them tomorrow in final practice, but it's the same situation for everybody and we just have to make the best of it. At the moment we expect it to be dry tomorrow, but in Japan you never know for sure. If the rain does come back I think we've done enough learning today to have a good direction 
for our wet weather set-up."

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
"Conditions like today's make for difficult choices. The forecast for the rest of the weekend should be dry, but the weather in Suzuka is notoriously unpredictable, so we used the two sessions to do some work on the intermediate and wet tyres. This is a high tyre-energy circuit so it was important we could get information on those two compounds, but at the same time we had to limit our running to preserve enough sets to account for the possibility of a wet qualifying or race. A wet Friday also means we will have to reassess our priorities for the final session tomorrow morning. Our original programme for today included work on some test items and optimisation of our qualifying and race set-ups, but the latter will take priority tomorrow as we try and learn as much from the limited track time we have available."

Formula1.com 
 

Force India confirm Perez for 2016

 

Sergio Perez is to remain with Force India for a third season next year. It means the team will field an unchanged driver line-up, with the 25-year-old Mexican again partnering Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg. 

 

“I am very happy to confirm that I will be staying with Sahara Force India,” said Perez. “It means I can simply focus on the important stuff - driving the car and scoring points for the team. Since coming here I’ve really grown as a driver and I feel I’m performing at my best.
“I’ve always said I want to establish myself in a team and it’s the right moment to announce my commitment for the future with Sahara Force India. I can feel the potential in the team and there is a good energy, which gives me confidence for next year. I think we can continue to deliver strong results and I will do my best to help drive the team forward.”

Welcoming the news that Perez is staying, team principal Vijay Mallya commented: “I’m very happy Sergio has committed his future to Sahara Force India. He’s done a fantastic job for us already and when we give him a competitive car we know he can get the job done. He’s also got a great attitude and never gives up - it’s that fighting spirit which fits well with this team. You only have to look at his results in the last three races to see that he is performing at the top of his game.

“It’s an exciting time for Sergio, especially with the upcoming race in Mexico next month, and with our close connections to the country I’m sure it will be a highlight for everybody in the team.”

Perez, who departed McLaren for Force India at the end of 2013, lies ninth in the current driver standings on 39 points, nine points and three places above team mate Hulkenberg, with his best finish of the year to date being a fifth place in Belgium.

Formula1.com 

Japanese GP - Preview - Force India Quotes

Sergio Perez
“We have taken a lot of encouragement from the result in Singapore, which was my third points finish in a row, and I think we can score well in Japan too. When you see how the VJM08 has developed and the results we are achieving, it tells you that we can be competitive on every track and Suzuka shouldn't be any different."

"Suzuka is one of those tracks that gives you a very special feeling. It’s quick, with some great corners, and it’s a real challenge to hook up the perfect lap. You need to have confidence and be very committed, especially in the first sector which has a fantastic flow. When you have a car that is working well it’s one of the best places to drive a Formula One car.

“Visiting Japan is always interesting and you can see how much the people love Formula One. The fans are very kind and have always given me a lot of support. It’s definitely a special race.”

Nico Hulkenberg
“The benefit of back-to-back races is that you can get back in the saddle right after a disappointing race. Singapore was a missed opportunity to score a lot of points but I've put it behind me now: I would rather focus on the positives and on the good pace we showed until the accident.

"The week we spend in Japan is always good fun. All the drivers love Suzuka because it’s a classic, old-school track with some very special corners: the Esses, Degner, Spoon and 130R. It’s very fast, with high g-forces and you really feel the grip and performance from the downforce. In that sense, it’s also very physical on your neck.

“The challenge of Suzuka is making sure you find the right rhythm. The lap is technical and you have to be precise because almost all the corners flow into the next one. That’s why a small mistake can be very costly in terms of lap time if you lose the flow of the whole lap.
“I’m a big fan of Japanese cooking and culture. You also see how much the race means to the fans because they wait for us at the hotel every morning and are always very respectful. ”

Vijay Mallya, team principal
"We come to Japan after three consecutive points finishes and determined to keep up our momentum. The updated VJM08 has shown it can compete well on all kinds of circuit so the challenge of Suzuka, which is a pretty unique track, is something to which we look forward. Unfortunately, Nico will have a grid penalty to deal with, but I am confident he'll make up for it.
"Suzuka is one of the classic tracks in Formula One and another important step in our battle for fifth place in the championship. The medium-speed corners that make up most of the circuit will provide a good test for the VJM08 and will give us another indication about the effectiveness of the upgrades we brought to Singapore. We are not letting go in the development race and we will keep pushing until the end, so it is crucial we gain performance with every new step we take.”

Formula1.com

Nico Hulkenberg apologises to Felipe Massa for Singapore rash

Felipe Massa says Formula 1 rival Nico Hulkenberg sent him an apology after the Singapore Grand Prix collision that earned the Force India driver a penalty for Japan.

Hulkenberg will take a three-place grid demotion this weekend at Suzuka as a punishment for colliding with Massa when the Williams was emerging from the pitlane at Marina Bay.

The Force India came off worst in the incident, going straight into the wall, while Massa continued before later encountering gearbox problems.

"He sent me an SMS to apologise, so it was nice," Massa told reporters at Suzuka on Thursday.

"Maybe he was too optimistic to close the door like that, but anyway it's OK and it's nice to have the message.

"He had a big chance to stay in front, because he could brake much later because his tyres were in a much better shape.

"If he stayed to the line on the right, then at the next corner it would've been in his favour.

"He just closed the door too early and didn't give any space for me."

Hulkenberg said he had watched the incident again and understood he could have left more space.

"I probably should have given him a bit more room, because he was on the inside and I had some space on the right," he said.

"Visibility is also difficult when you are alongside each other and I thought I was ahead enough, but I wasn't clearly, in hindsight, so we take the penalty here."

Massa felt Hulkenberg had better visibility for judging the situation than he did in the pit exit.

"When I left the pitlane and I'm doing the corner on the left I was in front," said the Brazilian.

"And on that angle it was impossible to see him, so I just saw him when I was already starting braking.

"I couldn't do anything because I was in front, and I couldn't see that there was a car there.

"It's easier for him to see me, than for me to see him."

 Source : Autosport.com 
 

Hulkenberg questions stewards' actions

Nico Hulkenberg does not understand why he was penalised for his collision with Felipe Massa in the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix without giving his view of the incident.

Massa had just pitted and was rejoining the track when he collided with Hulkenberg at the apex, with the German sliding into the barriers.

The stewards made their decision during the race, deeming Hulkenberg to be at fault and handed him a three-place grid drop for next weekend's Japanese GP and two licence penalty points.

"The accident with Felipe was very unlucky and I don't understand why I've been given a penalty before there has even been the chance to discuss the incident in the stewards' room," said Hulkenberg.

"I saw Felipe coming out of the pit exit as I went through Turn 1, but I was ahead in Turn 3, I was on the racing line and I took the corner as usual.

"Then I felt the contact with my left rear and my race was over.

"In my view it was my corner and I'm surprised Felipe backed out of it much too late, locking up just before he hit me."

But Massa described the incident differently, adding: "I was braking for the corner and he turned his car in on mine, leaving me with nowhere to go, so we hit."

Under the current regulations, if a team has additional material it feels is relevant to the investigation, it can be referred to the stewards at the following race.

However, while Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley disagreed with the stewards' decision, he said the team will not appeal.

"I thought it was a racing incident: two drivers, neither of them gave any quarter and the inevitable consequences happened," he told AUTOSPORT.

"I don't think it's something we would contest.

"There was so much data there, so much visual that if they've made that decision, I think it would be wrong for us to contest it.

"We don't have to agree with it but I don't think we'll contest it."

Autosport.com 
 

SingaporeGP - Race - Force India Quotes

Sergio Perez, 7th
“It’s a good feeling to end such a demanding race with seventh place and six points. The start was very important because I knew I had to get ahead of Fernando [Alonso] and I also jumped ahead of Romain [Grosjean]. After that I managed to keep up a good rhythm and I had new tyres immediately after the first safety car so I concentrated on looking after them and building a gap to the cars behind. The second safety car didn’t help us because it gave the Toro Rossos a big advantage with their fresh tyres. We knew they were catching us quickly and it was tough to stay ahead because my tyres were getting old and it wasn’t easy to keep the car away from the walls. So the last 15 laps of the race were very demanding but fortunately we could hold on for seventh.”

Nico Hulkenberg, DNF
Nico: “That’s a really frustrating way to end my race. I was feeling confident with the car; I had made my first stop and I was in good shape. The accident with Felipe [Massa] was very unlucky and I don’t understand why I’ve been given a penalty before there has even been the chance to discuss the incident in the stewards’ room. I saw Felipe coming out of the pit exit as I went through turn one, but I was ahead in turn three, I was on the racing line and I took the corner as usual. Then I felt the contact with my left rear and my race was over. In my view it was my corner and I’m surprised Felipe backed out of it much too late, locking up just before he hit me.”

Vijay Mallya, Team Principal & Managing Director
“Another bittersweet race in which we weren't able to get the reward the pace of both drivers should have warranted. Checo was brilliant: he was smooth in attacking and didn't put a wheel wrong when defending. The ending of the race was a bit nerve-wracking, with Checo coming under intense pressure from Verstappen, but he was able to play on the strengths of his car and didn't allow for any overtaking opportunity to arise. Nico had excellent pace but he didn't get the chance to show it. He was ahead of Felipe coming into the corner, took the line he was expected to take and yet Felipe didn't back out until it was too late. We are surprised a penalty was given to Nico, especially considering that he was the one who ended up out of the race and with severe damage to the car. We’re even more surprised the drivers weren't called to the stewards' room to give their view on the events. In any case, tonight's result strengthens our fifth position in the championship. We managed to increase our advantage over the teams behind us and we will aim to continue in this fashion next weekend in Japan.”

Formula1.com 
 

Exclusive Sergio Perez Q&A: Marina Bay causing Force India headaches

Force India came into Singapore on something of a roll, with Sergio Perez in particular fine form having scored consecutive top six finishes at Spa and Monza. The team has struggled to match that so far this weekend however, with Perez exiting qualifying in Q2 – a downturn the Mexican says is a blip rather than a slump, and one caused almost entirely by circuit characteristics... 

Q: Checo, you've scored points every time you have raced here in F1. How disappointing therefore is it to miss out on making it into Q3?

Sergio Perez: Of course I am disappointed as I think Q3 should have been possible, but sometimes things simply do not come your way. Yes, it's true I have always been in the points here, even in my year with McLaren – that probably makes the disappointment a bit bigger! But there is no reason why I shouldn't score points again even if starting from the midfield holds quite a number of risks. I have had much worse cars than what I have now. The race here is so intense physically and mentally – it is probably the most demanding race of the calendar, so anything can happen. In some ways I feel here like a fish in water because I am used to this kind of climate from staying and training in Mexico. Yesterday I would have said that my target is to at least finish one place ahead of last year, which would mean sixth. Now it is all down to the right calls and a bit of luck - but as I said before, I've scored points here with worse cars!

Q: The last two races have been quite a bonanza for you - two high-speed tracks, and Force India were a 'force' there. The twists of Marina Bay seem to be more of a challenge...
SP: In reality Spa should be the start of the usual 'Force India style' end of season rally! When I look back at the races so far this season I would say that I had a pretty good run up to Monaco with the old spec car – but from Monaco onwards there were always issues, problems I had never had before. Spa was the first straight weekend again and Monza followed in the same mould so it is hard to believe that we have lost the momentum.

Q: Were the high-speed track results down to the B-spec car?
SP: There are some things coming together that are better. I had a new engineer since the start of the season, and it took a bit of time to tie in with him. It's just like having a new girlfriend: it takes time to know what the other means and needs. But now we are over that phase and I am very confident now. And yes of course the B–spec car is a huge leap forward in everything. But in the end when you look at the pre-season we only had two days of testing with the A-spec so it was never the car that we wanted to start a season. The B-spec is the result of development in the course of ten races. Now in hindsight I am very proud of what we have achieved with that 'half-baked' car we have started the season. It really is amazing!

Q: Would you say that P5 in the constructors' standings is where Force India deserves to be?
SP: Absolutely. And I am pretty convinced that we will be able to defend it. There are more tracks to our liking following this race.

Q: In the last two years, you've finished 10th in the drivers' championship. When will you break into single figures?
SP: Ha, thanks for asking! My answer is soon. I am still very young, only 25, but already I have huge experience. That should give me the chance to drive a car that will get me there.

Q: Vijay Mallya said lately that he wants to keep his line-up in 2016…
SP: …and I want to stay! I am very happy with Force India!

Q: If you look at McLaren: it seemed unlucky for you to lose your seat in 2013, but now they are in a nightmare situation. What are your feelings watching them?
SP: That I am a very lucky man with my situation.

Q: That season with McLaren almost cost you a place in F1. What would be your advice to youngsters like Kevin Magnussen or Stoffel Vandoorne, who are both on the team's books?
SP: Well, McLaren are a big team. If as a youngster you get the opportunity to drive for them then it is almost impossible to reject that chance – especially if there is no other option to get into an F1 cockpit. It is no secret that it is very difficult to make it into F1 and if there is an opportunity, take it! Try to make an impression – but be aware that it might not always work out.

Q: Your brother Antonio is racing in NASCAR. Have you ever thought about racing in the US, and being much closer to home?
SP: Well, that could be my next stage of career – moving closer to home! (laughs) Right now only F1 is on my mind, and hopefully for the next ten years. After that I can think about some NASCAR experiences. The Perez brothers in NASCAR – it is something of a dream to race against my brother.

Q: We're now only six weeks away from your home Grand Prix. Mexico City of course has quite an unusual altitude for a F1 circuit. When will you start to prepare yourself physically – and what will you do?
SP: I am used to that – I go back and forth very often so it doesn't affect me. But for the others, my advice is to go there as early as you can – and that is really difficult with the tight schedule as we race the weekend before in Austin. So, go there immediately after the race. That is the only advice I will give for free – the little secrets I'll keep to myself!

Formula1.com 

 

Singapore GP - Qualifying - Force India Quotes

Nico Hülkenberg, 11th
“It’s a bit disappointing not to make the top ten, but at the same time I’m confident we can have a good race from P11. For whatever reason we didn’t have the harmony or performance we expected and I wasn’t as happy with the balance as I was yesterday. I was chasing the set-up in final practice and we made some changes before qualifying, but we still couldn’t find the sweet spot. The car was quite snappy with some oversteer and it wasn’t easy to get a tidy lap together. For tomorrow, the strategy decisions will be critical and we’ve seen over the years how unpredictable this place can be. It’s always a tough race with high tyre degradation, especially the rears, and all the teams around us look quite evenly matched. We need to keep out of trouble and make the right decisions with the strategy.”


Sergio Perez, 13th
“I am disappointed as I think Q3 was possible. The yellow flag at the end of Q2 meant I couldn’t finish what would have been my best lap, which is a shame, but sometimes things don’t go your way. I don’t think P13 reflects our true pace because we’ve done a very good job so far this weekend and we are continuing to take big steps forward. For tomorrow, there is plenty to fight for and it’s a long race on a street circuit where anything can happen. Starting in the middle of the pack will be a challenge because overtaking is not easy here, but we will try and overcome this with a good strategy. We will need to be ready to maximise every opportunity.”

Vijay Mallya, Team Principal & Managing Director
“Our performance level yesterday suggested we would be able to fight for the top ten, but ultimately we weren’t able to deliver on that potential today. Nico’s laps were clean enough, but he wasn’t comfortable with the balance and had to settle for P11. Sergio was unlucky with the yellow flag in the final moments of Q2, which impacted on what was shaping up to be his quickest lap. In the end he was just eight hundredths of a second behind Nico. Despite starting outside the top ten, I believe there is still everything to play for. Qualifying is only half the battle and this race is tough on the drivers and the cars. We need to sensible and take our chances to make sure we come away with some good points.”

Formula1.com 
 

Singapore GP - Friday Practice - Force India quotes

Nico Hulkenberg
FP1 - 8th, FP2 - 9th
“It has been a pretty straightforward day of practice - getting through the programme with no dramas and collecting a lot of data. The performance looks good, but it’s only Friday and I would expect everybody to step up their game tomorrow ahead of qualifying. The car has shown good potential, but there is still work to be done to improve the balance, especially during the long runs where I didn’t feel totally happy. On the whole though, we’ve done a lot of our homework and things are going to plan.”
Sergio Perez
FP1 - 12th, FP2 - 6th
“It was a solid day of practice and I’m happy with the work we’ve done today. There are still some things we need to change and analyse to improve for tomorrow, but I’m already feeling confident with the car. Track conditions were very good and the temperatures were quite cool compared with previous years. We managed to do long runs on both tyre compounds so we’ve got a lot of information to prepare for the race.”
Dr Vijay Mallya, Team Principal & Managing Director
“Today was a very important day and it was satisfying to complete our programme without any major interruptions. We had several new upgrades to evaluate and a very comprehensive run plan in order to obtain a lot of data, not just for this weekend but also for the remainder of the season. Both drivers were quite happy and comfortable with the car right from the start and they steadily improved the balance as the two sessions progressed. The first indications from the timesheets show that, as predicted, the midfield battle in qualifying will be very close and every fraction of a second will count. We’re also well aware that track position is crucial as there aren't many overtaking opportunities around the circuit, which makes qualifying well all the more important.”

Formual1.com 

Singapore GP - Preview - Force India

Sergio Perez
“I’m heading to Singapore feeling very positive. We’ve shown in the last two races just how competitive we can be and I’m confident we can have a similar level of performance in Singapore. The team is pushing hard to bring performance to the car and we’ve still got developments coming through which will help us a bit more this weekend.
“The Marina Bay track is one of my favourites and I’ve scored points every time I’ve raced there. I always enjoy driving on street circuits because you have to be aggressive and precise, and that suits my driving style. It’s quite bumpy, too, so you need a car with good stability to ride the bumps. It’s also one of the most demanding races of the year because of the heat and humidity.
“I’m now feeling more comfortable with the updated car. I made a big breakthrough in Spa and since then I’ve had the confidence to push and get the most from our package. It’s a good sign for the rest of the year.”


Nico Hulkenberg
“I’ve always enjoyed racing in Singapore and I think it’s one of the best events of the year. The city is buzzing and there’s a great atmosphere wherever you go. When it’s all lit up at night it looks stunning. I often wonder how much work is required to transform such a busy city into a racetrack. It’s clearly a huge logistical operation, but it’s definitely worth all the effort.
“The track layout has some nice features, but the first sector stands out for me - especially the fast right-hand kink of turn six and the braking zone of turn seven. You need a car that’s able to ride the bumps, can use the kerbs and gives you confidence through the low and medium-speed corners.
“I think the Singapore Grand Prix ranks as the toughest race of the year because of the heat. It’s physically draining and you’ve also got the mental challenge of racing so close to the walls with a small margin of error. We go there knowing we’ve made some good steps with the car over the last few races and aiming for more good points.”


Dr Vijay Mallya, team principal
“The Singapore Grand Prix has already established itself as a firm favourite on the calendar. The organisers put on a fantastic event and I enjoy the unique atmosphere of the night race. It’s a venue where we’ve traditionally been competitive and we go there determined to build on our good track record.
“Singapore will give us another chance to optimise the b-spec version of VJM08 as we introduce another small update package. Having performed well on the high-speed circuits of Spa and Monza, we know we have the potential to get both cars inside the top ten, but it’s going to be quite a different challenge on the tight and twisty streets of Singapore.
“As I’ve been saying for a while, the midfield fight for fifth place in the championship is likely to go down to the wire. It was important to score good points in Monza to reclaim fifth place, but with seven races still to go we cannot afford to ease up. The development of the VJM08 will continue and we need to take every opportunity that comes our way.”

Formula1.com 

Italian GP - Race - Force India Drivers quotes

Sergio Perez, 6th
“I had a really enjoyable time today. I had very strong pace from the beginning to the end; I managed the tyre degradation well and I feel we got the maximum that was possible from the race. The first stint was fairly calm: I found myself in clean air and I managed to open a gap over the cars behind so I wasn’t under any pressure. After my pit stop, I knew Kimi was closing in behind me: he was really quick and there was nothing I could do to keep him behind any longer than I did. I am very pleased with our performance over the whole weekend and the team really deserves these points. Today's result is important because it moves us back to fifth in the championship with a nice gap over our rivals. We did a good job and we deserve this result.”
Nico Hulkenberg, 7th
“Seventh place brings some useful points, but I finished the race feeling a little bit frustrated because we didn’t have the pace we know is possible. I actually think we had a problem with the car and it’s something we need to investigate because I was losing downforce, the car was sliding and the rear tyres were heating up too much, all of which really hurt my pace. The second half of the race was quite difficult defending against Ericsson and that’s when we were considering changing to a two-stop strategy because I was struggling so much with the tyres. In the end we decided against it and I was able to hang on to seventh place for some important points.”

Robert Fernley, deputy team principal
“To be leaving Monza with 14 points in our pocket completes a very competitive weekend for Sahara Force India. It means we’ve regained the advantage in our battle for fifth place in the standings and gives us a nice boost ahead of the fly-away races. The circuit certainly played to our strengths, but the team has worked incredibly hard this weekend to get both cars home in the points. Sergio and Nico both drove very mature races, fighting hard when they needed to and looking after the tyres. Nico was less comfortable with the car, so we will explore those issues, but all things considered we can feel extremely positive about our performance today.”

Formual1.com

Italian GP - Qualifying - Force India Drivers quotes

Sergio Perez, 7th
“I am pretty happy with the job I did today in qualifying. I was able to improve my time in every session and each lap was pretty good. In Q3 I was a bit too optimistic and tried to get a tow from Kimi on the straight but it didn't work: it actually cost me a couple of tenths but in any case it wouldn't have been enough to be in front of the two Williams cars. The race will be hard, but our target should be to challenge Williams ahead of us. The B-spec car has been performing solidly in the past few races so I see no reason why we shouldn't be in a position to have a good performance tomorrow. A good start will be crucial as the strategy options are quite straightforward; one of the keys of the race will be tyre degradation, but I am confident we will be strong and score good points.”
Nico Hulkenberg, 9th
“It’s good to be in the top ten, but without the problems in Q3 there was the potential to be much higher up the grid. I just lost power on my in-lap following my first run on used tyres, which was caused by a problem with the fuel system. I made it back to the pits, but the mechanics had to push me back to the garage and we lost a lot of time. When we tried to restart the car, the gearbox was stuck in between two gears and I couldn’t select neutral in time to get out again for a lap on new softs. It’s a shame because I think sixth or seventh place was possible today. I’m sure we will fix these issues for tomorrow, but grid position is important here so it’s going to be a bit more difficult starting from ninth. The midfield is looking very competitive and some of the teams have stepped up their game since yesterday. We will have to fight hard to get the points we need.”
Robert Fernley, deputy team principal
“We’ve shown a lot of promise since the start of practice and in that sense it’s satisfying to see both cars through to Q3. Sergio is up in seventh and did a good job despite not being totally happy with the balance of the car. Nico was just as competitive as Sergio and without the fuel system problem I’m sure he would have been several places higher up the grid. It means he’s out of position slightly, but with solid race pace he can hopefully progress tomorrow. The priority is to have a clean race and pick up good points.”

Formula1.com 
 

ItalianGP - Friday Practice - Force India quotes

Nico Hulkenberg
FP1 - 4th, FP2 - 5th
“That’s not bad at all. The car had quite good pace today and we collected a lot of information about the tyres on the long runs. We lost a little bit of track time when I had to cut short a run in FP1 and return to the garage, but in the end it wasn’t a problem because we got nice long runs done on both tyre compounds. We were also able to test all the new items we wanted to try out, which was very positive, and now we’re just going to do the usual tweaking overnight to get even more out of the car and improve the balance further. Overall it was a very good, straightforward, useful and productive Friday”

Sergio Perez
FP1 - 5th, FP2 - 4th
“We’re starting to get a good read on the car now, and that showed with a good run today. I’m still not completely comfortable with a few things - we had a change of brake pad material ahead of the first session and it was difficult at first, but we built up into it and set a really good lap time on the option tyres. I feel there’s potential for even more to come and that we can make further improvements to the balance. To be P4 and P5 in these practice sessions is encouraging, although we can’t read too much into it because we don’t know what the other teams were doing in their programmes. Tomorrow is going to be an important day for us to push forwards.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“It has been a very strong start to our Monza weekend. Both drivers were happy with the balance of the car from the very first laps of the morning’s session, and this enabled us to focus on refining our setup over the rest of the day. During FP1, we performed some aero tests, including various levels of rear-wing downforce. Nico lost some time towards the end of the morning session, but it didn’t affect our preparations significantly since we were able to recover all lost ground in the afternoon. As usual, the margins are very tight around this track and a few tenths can make a huge difference in terms of grid position. Our focus now turns to getting the most out of the car in qualifying trim to give our drivers the best chances tomorrow.”

Formula1.com 
 

Vijay Mallya Q&A: More to come from B-spec Force India

Having introduced a heavily updated car just last month, Sunday’s 2015 Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix saw Force India equal their best points haul of the season - despite only one driver taking the start - with Sergio Perez even momentarily leading the race on lap one. In an exclusive interview, team boss Vijay Mallya explains why he’s confident of even further improvement in the coming rounds, and why his squad probably really do ‘punch above their weight’…

Q: Vijay, you said that you left Belgium with mixed feelings…
Vijay Mallya: That is so. Checo (Sergio Perez) put in a super performance all weekend and for him a podium finish was very much within reach - and Nico was very unhappy not even having started the race as he had a power loss and had to retreat before the start. Imagine if Nico had had a similarly clean race as Checo! He definitely would have finished in the points and we would not have fallen back in the constructors’ standings to P6. Only by one point, yes, so of course nothing is lost, but we have to analyze together with Mercedes what the cause was on Nico’s car and make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Q: The tone of what you just said suggests that overall you are quite satisfied with Force India’s season so far…
VM: Absolutely. And now that we are running the B-spec car there are definitely more things to come as it is a lot more competitive than the A-spec car, which is showing in track performance. Obviously I am quite happy about the situation - as I said before we will sit down with Mercedes to see what Nico’s issue was - but there is still development going on. We will introduce additional upgrades in the course of the second half of the season and hopefully recapture P5 in the standings. That is the objective.

Q: Nico indicated that Russia will be the race for your next big upgrade - is that so?
VM: I would actually like to bring this upgrade to Singapore. The tracks that we are heading to in the next couple of months are pretty diverse. Monza is in the mold of Spa - a high-speed track - while Singapore is very different. But when the team was building up gradually from last position to where we are now, I always told my engineers that we cannot afford a car that is perfect on particular tracks and faints on others. We need a car that is competitive on every track - and I think that we have achieved that pretty successfully. I was very happy with Checo in Spa. He was really doing well, as he’s had some bad luck lately.

 

Q: Force India had been sitting in P5 in the standings for some time, but as you said Lotus have now narrowly edged ahead. Were you surprised that you were able to keep the position that long? VM: No, there is no surprise in F1 - just hard work and using you brain and resources in the best possible way. Look at the last race: Checo was the fastest driver in sector one, so we know that our current car is quick. I would have hoped that both drivers would have finished well in the points - but at least one did.
Q: Is it true that Force India are punching above their weight?
VM: You - and actually a lot other people - say that. If you look at our performance in relation to our expenditure - and considering what others spend - then this saying is very likely true. But in fact we like to run a good, tight ship, with a good atmosphere, good drivers and good commitment from our people. It’s the package. And if they say that the Force India package is punching above its weight, I take that as a compliment. We have under 400 people - and I am sure that I don’t have to double the workforce if I want to go further up the grid. That is what I honestly believe. Yes, I want to get better every year, but I also believe that doubling my work force is not the answer. If somebody tells me that to get to P4 I would have to go beyond 600 people, I very much disagree. We could also do it with our 380 people!
Q: So right now Force India are in a fairly good position. How long will that last? F1 racing doesn’t make a habit of letting teams remain in the comfort zone too long?

VM: Ha, I know that! And believe me, I like things not to last too long. Imagine we were still in the Spyker position at the very back. I have set my targets for the team, and we are doing very well in achieving them. I will not get carried away saying that we will achieve P4 this season, but there is no reason why we should not target that in 2016.
Q: That sounds like a bold goal…

VM: Well, 2016 is carry over from this season and when the B-spec delivers what we believe it has the potential to, then why not? 2017 is a whole different ballgame. My guess is that the cars will have to be ‘re-invented’ again - and we will start early to stay ahead of the game.
Q: And of course you want to keep your two current drivers for 2016…

VM: I have always said that I am delighted with both of them and I want to keep both of them.


Formula1.com 
 
 

BelgianGP - Race - Force India drivers quotes

Sergio Perez, 5th
“Fifth place and ten points is a good result, but we just lacked the pace to really fight for the podium today. My start was very strong and I was close to taking the lead on lap one when I was alongside Lewis [Hamilton] after Eau Rouge. I settled into a good rhythm, but we had very high degradation on the soft tyres in the first two stints. It was a bit better on the medium, although we struggled in the middle sector with our low downforce set-up and that hurt my pace. We were racing some quick cars and it was hard to fight off Grosjean and Kvyat, so it’s clear we need to analyse our performance and see where we can improve. I’m already looking forward to the next race in Monza, which is another track where I think we can be competitive.”

Nico Hulkenberg, DNF
“It’s disappointing to finish your race before it’s even started, but sometimes these things happen in racing. On the way to the grid I just felt a loss of power. We tried to understand and fix the problem on the grid, but it came back during the formation lap. There were a few moments when the power returned, but it disappeared again just before the start and I had to retire. It’s a real shame because the car has been very quick this weekend and we had a good opportunity to score some important points.”

Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director
“We leave Belgium with mixed feelings after what turned out to be a very eventful race. Sergio delivered a battling performance and extracted all he could from the VJM08. He was able to challenge for the podium positions at the start of the race and to finish with a fifth place, his best result of the year so far, confirmed the good pace he has shown all weekend. He didn't put a wheel wrong all day and was able to keep some very competitive rivals behind with an intelligent and defensive drive. There are many regrets about what could have been had Nico had a clean weekend. Unfortunately, he suffered a loss of power on the way to grid and we were unable to rectify the problem before the start. It’s something we will thoroughly investigate with Mercedes. It's a shame as he would have surely had a competitive race. The battle for fifth in the championship remains open and we're already looking forward to the next round at Monza to reclaim the position.”

Formula1.com
 

Sergio Perez expects new Force India F1 deal by Singapore GP

Sergio Perez is confident of retaining his Formula 1 seat with Force India, with the Mexican poised to announce a new deal within the next fortnight.

On Wednesday, Force India confirmed it had re-signed Nico Hulkenberg for the 2016 and '17 F1 seasons, with team principal Vijay Mallya claiming the German to be "one of the best racing drivers in the world".

Perez, currently in his second season with the team, sees no reason why he will not be making his own announcement in the near future.

"For me the news will be coming quite soon," said Perez, speaking in Monza ahead of this weekend's Italian Grand Prix.

"We're getting to the point where things should be announced very soon, hopefully before the next race, with my priority to stay here.

"I have a contract with the team, and as you know I have a group of sponsors and we are trying to make the announcement all together."

As to whether it would be a long-term deal, Perez added: "It's one of the things we are definitely discussing.

"The team is going upwards, really pushing, I know the plans, so I am really happy to stay here."

Asked if he had been looking at other options elsewhere, with the Mexican linked to Renault should the French manufacturer complete a takeover of Lotus, he replied: "No. I have a contract here."

Autosport.com 
 

Hulkenberg to stay at Force India

Nico Hulkenberg has committed himself to Force India by signing a two-year contract extension with the Formula 1 team.

Hulkenberg had recently been linked with newcomer Haas, and was understood to be top of its 10-man wanted list ahead of the American firm's entry into F1 in 2016.

But the 28-year-old German, in his second spell with Force India, has opted to remain with the Silverstone-based outfit through to the end of 2017.

According to Force India, Le Mans 24 Hours winner Hulkenberg staying on provides the team with "valuable stability in the years ahead".

Hulkenberg said: "I'm very pleased to finalise and announce my plans for the future.

"I know this team inside out and I feel at home here so it made perfect sense to make a long-term commitment.

"The progress the team has shown over the last two years has really impressed me and gives me confidence for the future.

"It's a great group of people who are hungry for success and want to keep improving year-on-year.

"I think we have the important things in place going forward and I want to continue growing with this team as we move even further up the grid"

Team principal Vijay Mallya feels the re-signing of Hulkenberg represents a major coup.

Mallya said: "I make no secret of being one of Nico's biggest fans and so it's fantastic to confirm him as our driver for the next couple of seasons.

"He has spent almost four years with us already and in that time we've seen him develop into one of the best racing drivers in the world.

"Nico has the speed, the technical knowledge and the maturity to help us achieve some great results in the years ahead.

"We will do everything we can to continue delivering a car to match his talent."
Of his 86 starts in F1, Hulkenberg has made 48 of those with Force India.

It is anticipated Force India will also announce Sergio Perez has been retained at some point in the near future in what will be an unchanged line-up for 2016.

Autosport.com 
 

Italian GP - Force India - Preview

Sergio Perez
“The race in Belgium was good fun: it's always nice to battle at the front and, even though we didn't manage to get onto the podium, it was good to come away with our best result of the season so far. Our performance is improving and we are taking the opportunities when they arise. We have seen that we can now fight with nearly everyone and it's important we keep aiming for the podium.
“Monza is a place with lots of memories for me. I had one of my best races in Formula One there in 2012, finishing second after a clever race managing tyres. The circuit is probably one of the most beautiful in the calendar: there's history wherever you look and you can feel it's a unique place from the very moment you arrive at the track. The Italian fans are amazing - they remind me of Mexicans, in a way, and it's a good warm-up ahead of the race in Mexico City!
“Monza is a true power track and so we go there confident of being competitive. It’s never easy to overtake and the strategy options are quite limited, and so getting the job done in qualifying is especially important. In the race it’s a case of being flat out all the way and being accurate with your braking points.
“My feeling with the updated car is very good now. Spa was the most comfortable I’ve been this season and it showed in the results. We need to go to Monza and deliver a similar performance.”
Nico Hulkenberg
“When you have a frustrating weekend like the one in Spa, the best cure is to get back behind the wheel and go racing again. I know we could have been very competitive in Belgium without the technical issues on race day and we missed an opportunity to score good points.
“Monza is special. It's a high-speed track that pushes the car to the limit: it may look easy but the margin for error when braking for the chicanes is very small and you end up paying heavily for every mistake. It's a fun and challenging circuit to drive and the atmosphere makes it even better. The fans are very passionate and knowledgeable: the town lives for the race and you have a feeling that you're in one of the temples of Formula One.
“The layout of the track should allow us to be competitive and it’s an opportunity for us to score important points. I had a very exciting race there in 2013 and I wouldn't mind a repeat performance. We have seen what the VJM08 is capable of in the last few events and I think we will have the chance to compete in the top ten.”
Dr Vijay Mallya, team principal
“The high-speed challenge of historic Monza is always one of the highlights of the year. It’s the final race of the European season and it’s important that we score strongly to regain the initiative in our fight for fifth place in the standings.
“The last race in Belgium showed that the updates we’ve brought to the VJM08 are working as intended. We’ve taken some big steps forward over the last couple of months and with more developments in the pipeline I think we can keep up this momentum.
“Of course, the result in Spa was bittersweet as we could only compete with one car, but we’ve shown that the VJM08 is capable of qualifying and racing well inside the top ten. At the same time, Spa reminded us that we cannot take our progress for granted and we must continue to work hard to remain at the front of the midfield battle.
“Monza is a track where we expect to be competitive. We go there aiming to get both our cars in Q3 on Saturday and in the points on Sunday - that must be our target for all the races to come.”

Formula1.com