Force India expecting "phenomenal" F1 development rate in 2017

Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley expects to see a "phenomenal" rate of development as F1 teams get to grips with the new rules next season.

Fernley says his team is optimistic that it will have a good package at the start of the season, but concedes that it won't be easy to match the big teams.

"I'm very optimistic for next year," Fernley told Motorsport.com. "I think our technical team has proven to be very competent, and I see no reason why they can't do a very good job in 2017.

"Until we know what other people have got it's not possible to judge, but they are optimistic that they are producing a good design.

"The launch cars will obviously give us some idea of where everybody is. Where the bigger teams have the advantage over the independent teams is that they will be able to start flowing their upgrades through very quickly. We won't have the resource to do it quite as quickly.

"But hopefully the steps that we'll take will be measured and we'll be able to stay with it, more or less. We mustn't underestimate the speed of development of the '17 cars. It will be phenomenal, certainly in the first three or four months of the season.

"I think that it will be very tight next year. Probably people like Williams, McLaren, Force India, probably Toro Rosso, I think all of us will be looking at the fourth place fight.

"And depending how the three big ones go, if one of them has made an error somewhere, they'll be with us."

Fernley is adamant that the team didn't overcommit to the 2016 car in order to guarantee that it would be beat Williams to fourth place, and thus development for next year was not compromised.

"We didn't put anything into the 2016 car beyond what we'd already committed to. The '16 programme has not compromised the '17 programme. We were very clear about when we needed to switch over.

"We've been working on next year's car for some time. A lot of the performance that came out of the '16 car was latent, and we knew it was there. It was just a case of pulling it through.

"In some ways I'm quite excited about '17, because one of the good things that we did in terms of being able to get things on a level playing field is that we brought in the current wind tunnel and CFD limitations.

"While we still have a disadvantage because of the investment that the bigger teams have made in their wind tunnels, it's the closest it's ever been to more level playing field. So you only have a certain amount of time that you can operate with."

Motorsport.com 
 

Mallya 'deserves more credit' for Force India

Force India Formula 1 team owner Vijay Mallya deserves more credit for the team's rise to fourth in the constructors' championship in 2016, according to deputy team principal Bob Fernley.

Fernley first met the Indian businessman in 1982, when he assisted in the purchase and then the running of an Ensign F1 car that Mallya drove to victory in that year's Madras Grand Prix.

Since Mallya bought the ex-Jordan team, then competing as Spyker, in September 2007 and rebranded it Force India in 2008, the squad has risen from 10th in the world championship to its current fourth. 

While Mallya has been criticised in some quarters for his business dealings and rumours have often circulated about the possibility of pulling support from Force India, Fernley underlined how important his involvement has been.

"Yes, he deserves a lot of credit," Fernley told Autosport when asked if Mallya didn't get the credit he deserves for the success.

"Vijay celebrates 10 years in Formula 1 next year. There are not many individual team owners that have been around for 10 years and he continues to support it.

"That's fundamentally where it [the reason for the team's rise] is.

"I don't think it's any magic, it's just about consistency, attention to detail and good people."
While beating Williams to fourth in the constructors' championship gives the team a financial boost, with the difference between the 'column 2' prize money paid based on the 2015 season for fourth and fifth being $3million, Fernley stressed the key is the boost to the team's enthusiasm.

"It's really the moral boost," said Fernley.

"What it does is endorses what the team has been doing for the last three or four years.

"You can never underestimate the enthusiasm this will drive through the team and [help] bring it to the next stage.

"While it's nice to have the extra funding coming in, that is incidental to the enthusiasm it will put in and the commitment it will deliver for 2017."
Fernley also paid tribute to the calibre of the staff at Force India, describing working for the Silverstone-based team as a difficult option because of the responsibility each person must carry.

"Working for Force India is not an easy option and it's not for everybody," said Fernley.

"You often get people coming to you and saying, 'I want this responsibility' and we love to give that because it's not about dictating, it's about doing it as a team.

"But with responsibility comes accountability and a lot of people don't necessarily want that bit and therefore you've got to be a strong character.

"It exposes your weaknesses, whereas in a bigger organisation you can cover it up.

"We have people that genuinely want to progress and are prepared to take the risks are responsibilities that go with it.

"That's part of the drive that has brought Force India to where it is today."

Autosport.com 
 

Season Review - Force India 2016

Motorsport not so popular in India yet, but Force India compelling rapidly in India and world wide. Thanks to Vijay Mallya. Force India is one of the popular team and its raised eyebrows many times. 2016 is the best season for Force India in terms of many, here is the list, 

1. 4th In constructor 
2. 2 podiums in a single season 
3. Highest point scored in a single season 
4. Highest double points finish in a single season 
5. Sergio Perez, first Force India driver to score 100 points

With the new rules are coming in 2017 other teams are expected to move forward, no doubt Force India will come with the special recpie. We still don't know the capability of new signed OCON yet, hope he'll bring more points and celebrations to the team. Congrats and All the best to Vijay Mallya and Entrie Force India family.

Cheers.. 

Magi

Abu Dhabi GP - Race - Force India Quotes

Hulkenberg was involved in a first lap collision with Verstappen and was lucky to continue with no significant damage. He traded places with his team mate in the early stages, before pulling away to claim seventh. Perez had a quiet race behind to score more valuable points for the team, clinching them fourth in the constructors' championship.

Nico Hülkenberg, 7th
“It was quite a simple and lonely race actually, mainly racing with my teammate because the top six cars were just out of reach. Turn one was quite interesting because I got hit by Max [Verstappen], which damaged the floor of my car and made things a bit more difficult. Fortunately we had the pace to hold position and bring home the result. It’s great to end my time at Force India with a strong result and help the team finish fourth in the championship. Everybody deserves congratulations and big credit for the amazing job this year. I leave this team with lots of happy memories and Force India will always be a part of my life. I’ve learned a huge amount here and they have made me a better racing driver. We’ve grown up together and I’m proud of what we have achieved.”

Sergio Perez, 8th
“I am pleased with my race. I finished where I started and it was a quiet race for most of it, but it got a bit tense in the final laps when I had to fend off Felipe [Massa]. I pushed really hard at the beginning of my stints, trying to close the gap to Nico, but in the end I finished just behind him. It was great to finish the season with some points and to end an incredible year with a good result. Now that the season is over, I will go back to Mexico and enjoy some rest. It’s been a long and intense year and I am looking forward to some downtime with friends and family. They’re going to be happy holidays, thinking about what we have achieved this year. I’ll chill out a bit and then it’s back to work for 2017!”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“To end the season with two cars solidly inside the points and with fourth place in the constructors’ championship feels fantastic. It has been a tremendous year for us and it’s important to pay tribute to each and every member of the team for all their hard work and hours of dedication back at base and at the track. All the effort has paid off and we can now celebrate the best ever year in our history. Both drivers did a super job today, as they have done all year long. It’s great that Nico could end his time with us on a high note and we thank him for everything he has done for us during his five years as a Force India driver. He’s been a big part of our journey up the grid and it has been a pleasure working with him. Credit to Sergio, as well, who becomes the first Force India driver to cross the 100 points in a season milestone. He’s been exceptional this year and fully deserves to finish seventh in the drivers’ championship.”

Formula1.com 

Abu Dhabi GP - Qualifying - Force India Quotes

Force India have been battling with Williams for fourth in the constructors' championship for most of the season, and with a healthy points advantage over their rivals they just need to avoid any slip-ups in this final weekend. By qualifying seventh and eighth they did just that, with Renault-bound Hulkenberg shading his team mate Perez by 0.018s.

Nico Hulkenberg, 7th, 1:40.501
“I’m very happy and I think seventh place was probably the maximum result for us today. I’m pleased with my laps, especially considering the lack of running I have had this weekend, sitting out FP1 and missing half of final practice. Going into qualifying I thought it was going to be quite difficult, but we made good progress with the car during the session and I had the confidence to really push on all of my laps. Hopefully we can deliver more of the same tomorrow to end the season and my time with Force India in style. The cars ahead in the top six may be just out of reach, but we will give it a go and see where we end up.”

Sergio Perez, 8th, 1:40.519
“I am pleased with the result for the team, locking down the fourth row of the grid, but I am not very happy with my performance because I know I could have done better. I had a bit of understeer on my last lap so I tried to change my lines to counter it, but it didn’t really work. I could have been in P7 with a perfect lap, but with Nico just ahead it’s still a great result for the team. I am looking forward to our last race as teammates and beating the cars around us to finish the season on a high note. I want to outscore our rivals because finishing fourth in the championship is a really important objective for us.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Chief Operating Officer
“To end the final qualifying session of the year with both cars inside the top eight is an excellent effort by the entire team. The car has been competitive in all the sessions, but it’s been a challenging day with Nico losing quite a lot of track time in final practice. Despite this, he was able to secure seventh place on the grid. Sergio was matching him lap for lap and ended the session just one hundredth shy to lock out the fourth row of the grid. Looking ahead to the race, we’re well placed to bring home a strong result to sign off what has been the most successful season in the team’s history.”

Formula1.com

Abu Dhabi GP - Friday - Force India Quotes

Force India got through a big programme and both regular drivers were happy with where they ended up, though each complained of power loss on the straights in FP2. Celis did a decent job to take 11th in FP1.

Sergio Perez - FP1: 1:44.155, P6; FP2: 1:42.041, P8
“It was a positive day for us. We managed to complete a big programme and we have plenty of information to analyse tonight. Looking at the times, I don’t see any big surprises: we are where we expected to be before the weekend started and we’ve done some good race preparation. The track evolved a lot between the sessions, especially with the temperature drop between FP1 and FP2, but I think we’re nearly there in terms of set-up. I think we have done a good job and I am really looking forward to tomorrow.”

Alfonso Celis - FP1: 1:45.476, P11
“This is where I made my Formula One debut one year ago, so it was the chance to show how much I have learned over the last twelve months. Every time I get in the car, it gets easier, and knowing the team well means that once the helmet is on I can just focus on my driving. I am pleased with my performance today – working through the job list and giving the team plenty of information to study this evening.”

Nico Hulkenberg - FP2: 1:42.264, P9
“I was in the car for the evening session only, but it wasn’t a big disadvantage because that’s when the track conditions are representative of what we’ll experience in qualifying and the race. I felt quite good with the car straight away and I was able to find a good rhythm quickly. There’s still some work to do with the balance, because it’s not where I want it to be yet, but we should be able to find some extra grip overnight.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Chief Operating Officer
“It was a good first day of work, with lots of data gathered and no major concerns with the car. Alfonso did a good job in FP1 and Nico was straight on the pace when he returned for FP2. Track evolution was something to take into account, even during the hot FP1 session, but once the sun had set the track settled down to what we expected – and these are the conditions that will be representative for qualifying and the race. We made some adjustments to the car in the opening session to help the drivers and they responded positively to the changes. There is still quite a lot of work to do before qualifying, but we are confident of extracting some more performance overnight.”

Formula1.com

Force India can be third in 2017 - Perez

Sergio Perez believes Force India could break into the top three in Formula 1's constructors' championship next year. 

The Silverstone-Based team is almost certain to seal fourth in the 2016 championship in this weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as it has a 27-point lead over Williams.

Despite Force India lacking the resources of F1's leading teams, Perez sees the major aerodynamic regulation changes in 2017 as a big chance.

"To move forward with the rule changes is our biggest opportunity, to try to get into the top three at the end of the year," said Perez.

"Every year, we have been moving so I see good potential, good people.

"The budget is quite good for next year with what we can do in terms of upgrades.

"We are not in the position of the big teams, but I see good potential.

"If we get it right next year, we can definitely be in the top-three fight."

Perez, who will be joined by Esteban Ocon next year, stressed that the key is for Force India to focus on the right technical path.

Limited resources means it cannot explore as many development angles as the big teams but if the car concept and upgrade plan are right, the 26-year-old believes Force India will be able to compete - particularly if it can start the season more strongly than it did in 2016.

"We are a small team, so we have to make sure we get it right," said Perez.

"We have shown this year we did, but there was still potential from the beginning.

"That's important, to have the potential there in the car and to make sure through the year you exploit the best out of the car."

With Williams needing to score more points than it has managed in any single race this year to have any chance of overhauling Force India, Perez described this season as "incredible" for his team.

"It is not done and anything can happen on Sunday, but it has been an incredible year for us," he said of the possibility of finishing fourth.

"We have shown again that it's not how you start the year, it is how you end the year.

"We started the year lacking quite a lot of pace but we worked hard and developed the car.

"We have done an incredible job."

Autosport.com 
 

Abu Dhabi GP - Force India Preview

Sergio Perez
“It’s the final race of the year and you really want to close the season with a good result. It’s an exciting time and you need to keep focused on the job even though everyone is already talking about the following season. You want to finish the year well to go on holiday with a sweet taste in your mouth, especially this year when there is so much at stake. Nobody wants to have a bad final race; it’s a pretty nasty feeling!
“Abu Dhabi is a cool place and the fans we meet come from all over the world. The facilities at the track are impressive and I’ve always liked racing there. It’s a very fast track, with big braking zones and quick changes of direction. You need a car that is very stable at the rear to make the most of the braking zones. Also, having good traction out of the corners can gain you a lot of time. There are some overtaking opportunities and the possibility to go for different strategies usually produces interesting races.
“Last year’s race was pretty exciting - fighting for the podium against the Ferraris. Even though we fell short, it was a very good race and hopefully we can have another strong weekend after Brazil.
“You always get a bit nostalgic at the end of the season. You know it’s the last time you’re going to drive your VJM09 and you don’t know what the next season will bring. I want to go into the winter with special memories from the final race.”
Nico Hulkenberg
“The final race of the season is always special, but this year even more so. It will be my final race with the team, so it will be emotional to work with the crew and the other team members for one last time. People move around teams a lot in Formula One, so I know it’s a goodbye and not a farewell. I want to enjoy this last race together and make sure it turns into a celebration: I want us to confirm fourth place in the championship, then we will see a lot of big smiles on everyone’s faces and be proud of what we achieved together.
“Abu Dhabi is a very cool place. Yas Marina is very modern and the circuit has probably the best facilities of the whole calendar. The track is not bad either and it’s fun to drive. You race into the sunset and it looks really cool when all the lights come on. It’s a unique experience.
“The pit lane exit is very tricky and one of the most memorable parts of the circuit: you release the pit limiter, accelerate for a second and then you have to brake for the very sharp left hander underneath the track. The wall feels very close and you always hold your breath every time you drive through that narrow exit! It’s a little uncomfortable because as soon as you push harder, you start to slide and it’s very easy to get it wrong.
“Looking at the track characteristics, Abu Dhabi should suit us really well. We had a few strong results in the last few years and I am confident we can get a good one this time around too. I would love nothing more than to sign off from the team in style.”

Vijay Mallya, team principal
“After scoring well in Brazil, we head to Abu Dhabi on the verge of achieving our best ever finish in the constructors’ championship. There is one final step to take and everyone is determined to get the job done and end the season on a high with a strong result.
“The final race is a great opportunity to look back at the work we have done this year. I have always been confident in our team, even when circumstances played against us in the early races and we didn’t get the results our pace deserved. We kept to our plan, trusted our direction and since May we have been on the way up. Monaco was a big turning point and the team has been going from strength to strength since then.
“Abu Dhabi is the culmination of all our efforts, but there is no room for complacency. Both our drivers have an extra bit of motivation to do well - Checo to cross the 100-point threshold, which would be the first time ever for a Force India driver; Nico to close his Force India adventure on a high. This is a track that brought us some good results in the past and it would be special to end the season in style.”

Formula1.com
 

Brazilian GP - Race - Force India Quotes

Hulkenberg was unlucky - running fourth, he picked up some debris from Raikkonen's crash in his front wing, before having to pit under the safety car with a puncture, also sustained from running over debris. That was enough to drop him down to 15th before he fought back to finish in the points. Perez survived a 360-degree spin under the safety car and looked set for a podium until Verstappen's late charge up the field. The double points finish strengthened Force India's grip on fourth in the constructors' championship. 

Sergio Perez, 4th
“What a fun but tense race today! It’s a shame to lose a podium place in the last two laps, but Max [Verstappen] just had a different pace: he was the fastest on track and there was nothing I could do to keep him behind. Even though I am a bit disappointed, we can still celebrate a great race and an incredible result, especially considering the conditions we had out there today. Just getting to the finish line on a day like this feels like a victory, and to bring home fourth is a very important result. It was so easy to make mistakes; you risked aquaplaning at any moment – every time I crossed the finish line I had a breath of relief. It’s a big result, not only for me, but also for the team as it brings us important points for the battle for fourth place. A lot can still happen in Abu Dhabi, but we can be happy about this result.”

Nico Hülkenberg, 7th
“That was an intense race and I don’t know whether to laugh or cry because I think a possible podium slipped away today. I had great confidence in the car, felt comfortable and I had the pace to push and overtake. There were some scary moments in the race, especially when Kimi crashed in front of me. Some of his debris hit my car and caused a lot of damage. At least I survived that, but then I picked up a puncture from the debris, which was so frustrating because it dropped me down to the back of the field. Without the puncture, who knows where I might have finished? I’m happy and proud of myself and the team. We did a great job, but we were just missing a bit of luck.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“What an exciting race! To come away with 18 points from such a challenging race is a fantastic reward for an excellent job by the entire team. Both drivers didn’t put a wheel wrong and the decisions from the pit wall were spot on. Sergio came within a whisker of another podium and thoroughly deserved fourth place. For Nico to recover from the puncture to finish seventh showed his class once again and made us all wonder what might have been because he was running in fourth when the puncture struck. With such difficult track conditions, just getting both cars to the finish is a victory and to have both in the points takes us a good step closer to achieving fourth place in the constructors’ championship.”

Formula1.com

Brazilian GP - Saturday - Force India Quotes

Force India had looked to be lagging behind their championship rivals Williams on pace but, come qualifying, both drivers found a little extra to make Q3 at the expense of Bottas and Massa. Hulkenberg struggled on his first run, complaining of a loss of power but it proved to be a small blip, with the German finding the pace he needed on his second run to beat his team mate by just six hundredths of a second.

Nico Hulkenberg, 8th, 1:12.104
“I’m happy with eighth place and I think it was pretty much the limit today. It was close with Checo just behind me and it means we’re starting the race in a strong position. My laps were pretty clean and tidy, although I didn’t get a great exit out of the final corner at the end of Q3 - it’s been a difficult corner for us all weekend. I think we have a good car for tomorrow, so we need to get the job done and score solid points. The long runs we did yesterday looked promising, but we have to wait and see what happens with the weather. At the moment it looks like conditions will be similar to today – overcast with some light drizzle. If we get some heavier rain, it would certainly spice things up because it can be quite difficult to overtake here in the dry.”

Sergio Perez, 9th, 1:12.165
“We made a big step forward from practice to qualifying and it was enough to get us through to Q3. The session was a real fight, especially in Q1, and the margins between progression and elimination were tiny. This is a very short track and you need to really hook together the perfect lap, because any mistake can make a big difference. It was very tight with Nico; we were within a few tenths of each other all afternoon, but in the end I fell just short. I made a small mistake in the final corner and it cost me some time, so I could have been a bit quicker. Overall I think we can be happy with the job we did today. We have kept some quick cars behind us and I believe we can be strong in the race. We now need to see what the weather brings tomorrow.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“Getting both cars into the top ten was the target today so we’re very pleased with the outcome. The team worked hard on Friday night to make the necessary changes to extract performance from the car. The progress we made overnight and this morning made the difference and helped us squeeze through to Q3. It sets us up nicely for a strong race tomorrow. Our race pace looks solid and we’re pretty relaxed about the changeable weather. Come rain or shine, we have a car capable of converting our qualifying effort into important points.”

Formula1.com 
 

Brazilian GP - Firday - Force India Quotes

Hulkenberg said he’d had a good start and that he generally feels like Force India can have another strong weekend. Perez aid his car’s balance need more work, and that he never got a clear lap in FP2 and that there was thus more to come his side of the garage.

Nico Hulkenberg - FP1: 1:13.293, P7; FP2: 1:13.299, P9
"It was a good Friday - just what you want from a day like this. We had two dry sessions and collected some very useful tyre information with two long runs. The car feels ok, but there is still a lot that can be done to improve the balance overnight. It’s a good starting point. It’s still too early to know just how competitive we are, but it feels like we have the potential for a strong weekend."

Sergio Perez - FP1: 1:13.289, P6; FP2: 1:13.918, P14
"A very hot day, but things went to plan and I feel positive. This afternoon I didn’t get a clear lap for my first run on the soft tyres so I feel there is more potential to come. We tried a few set-up adjustments that did not really work, but we’ve learned some things which will give us a better direction for tomorrow. We expect the weather to be slightly cooler over the weekend, but I still think the work we’ve done today is representative and we just need to adjust if the track temperatures drop. Overall I feel happy with what we’ve done today and we have a good idea of where we need to improve overnight."

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal 
"As the forecast indicated, we had a very hot day with high temperatures, up to 50 degrees on track, in both FP1 and FP2. This allowed us to learn a lot about the set-up of the car and the performance of the tyres in these conditions. However, we are aware that cooler weather is expected for the rest of the weekend, with a realistic chance of rain, so we need to keep that in mind when looking at a qualifying and race set-up. Overall, it was a fairly standard Friday in which we were able to complete our programme with no issues. Both drivers were quite happy with the car by the time we got to the long runs at the end of the day, but there is still some work to do in regard to our low-fuel performance. It will be our focus tonight as we prepare for the weekend."

Formula1.com

Brazilian GP - Force India Preview

Sergio Perez
 
“Brazil is a very welcoming country and it shares a lot with Mexico. The people, the culture, the food - there’s so much that Sao Paulo can offer.
“The track is very complex to master and has some tricky corners. It’s one of the few anti-clockwise layouts, which makes it harder from a physical point of view, especially for the neck. It’s a race where there’s always some external factor playing a big role, whether it’s the weather or something else: races at Interlagos tend to be special.
“It’s a very short lap - it almost feels like driving a kart circuit with a Formula One car! Because the lap is short, you can easily lose a lot of positions with a small mistake. You have to be precise in every single corner and aim for the perfect lap. You need a car that is stable at the rear, with no understeer so that you can make the most of all the changes of direction.
“You cannot race in Brazil without thinking about Senna. He is a legend for most of us driving in F1 and his presence is felt everywhere at the circuit.”

Nico Hulkenberg

“I have lots of good memories from Brazil: it’s where I got a pole position in my debut year in 2010 and where I had one of my best days in 2012. That was a very special race, leading for 40 laps in mixed conditions. It was exciting from the lights: it was dry, then it started to drizzle and some people stopped for intermediate tyres, but I stayed out, took a risk and made it work. It was a special experience and one of my best performances to date.
“I feel really comfortable and happy in Sao Paulo. The lifestyle of the Brazilian people really attracts me: the vibe of the city is great and I love the food too. I think feeling at ease somewhere plays a big part in performing well, so I am looking forward to this weekend.
“There is a lot of history at Interlagos and it’s an enjoyable track to drive. My highlight is the second sector: it’s twisty and technical, and a challenge to get it just right. The Senna Esses are an interesting corner combination as well - you can easily ruin a lap very early on if you get them wrong.
“The weather changes very quickly in Sao Paulo - the clouds come up to the track all of a sudden and hit us, which makes for some crazy weather and some crazy races, which is something I quite enjoy!”

Vijay Mallya, team principal
“Our strong showing in Mexico proved how competitive we are at the moment and gives us further encouragement for this weekend’s race in Sao Paulo. We’ve had some good memories from Brazil over the years and it’s a circuit that has staged some special races - often helped by wet weather.
 “It’s a very important weekend for us as we reach crunch time in our battle for fourth place in the championship. With two races to go and a nine-point advantage, every point becomes potentially decisive. We need to be at the top of our game to ensure we finish the job we have done so well all year.”

Formula1.com

Sergio Perez cancels sponsor deal over tweet

Formula 1 driver Sergio Perez has ended an agreement with his sunglasses sponsor after the company tweeted a controversial comment about Mexicans following Donald Trump's election as United States president.

The offending tweet from Hawkers suggested Mexicans should wear glasses to hide their crying eyes when the wall Trump had promised to build on election between the US and their country was constructed.

Perez replied to the tweet saying he was ending the relationship, which he said had only begun recently, with the company removing the tweet and apologising for the "serious error".

But the Mexican said he would not change his mind, despite the company having already started production on around 20,000 glasses that bear his name.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix, Perez said: "I have decided to split with the brand because I'm not in favour at all of those comments. I didn't find it funny at all.

"I think the relationship was going to be successful, but it comes first, my country, my people.

"I won't let anyone make fun of my country.

"It's a shame the brand pays for it because it's a mistake from one person, I'm sure he regrets it now, but it's how things are in life some times."

Autosport.com

Force India signs Ocon for Multiyear deal

Force India has announced the signing of Esteban Ocon on a "multi-year deal" from the 2017 Formula 1 season.

The Frenchman replaces Nico Hulkenberg, who was released from his contract to allow him to complete a switch to Renault.

Pascal Wehrlein, Jolyon Palmer - ultimately retained by Renault - and Felipe Nasr were also on Force India's shortlist, but it was Ocon who got the nod to partner Sergio Perez.

Force India team principal Vijay Mallya said: "He's an exceptional talent, as his status as a Mercedes junior demonstrates, and I have no doubt he will flourish inside our team. 

"We've had our eye on Esteban for a number of years and have followed his progress through the junior categories where he delivered outstanding results.

"We ran him in the car last year during testing and his performance convinced us that he is more than capable of racing alongside Sergio."

Ocon represented Force India in last year's in-season tests, and has also sampled F1 machinery with Mercedes and Renault, making four FP1 appearances with the latter in the first half of this season.


He made his race debut with Manor at the Belgian Grand Prix, replacing Rio Haryanto.
"I'm still relatively new to Formula 1, but spending half a season at Manor Racing has given me some valuable experience and I feel ready for this new opportunity with Force India," Ocon said.

"The next few months will be very busy as I do all I can to prepare for the challenge ahead of me.

"It means lots of days at the factory, working on the simulator and building relationships with the engineers and everybody in the team.

"I can't wait for 2017 and my first full season racing in Formula 1."

With Palmer retained by Renault and Kevin Magnussen headed for Haas, Force India's announcement leaves just Sauber and Manor with vacancies for 2017.

Sauber is set to stick with Nasr and Marcus Ericsson, while Wehrlein is likely to get a second season with Manor, alongside a replacement for Ocon.

The deal makes sense for Mercedes as it provides Ocon with a competitive car in which the manufacturer can assess his talent.

The reigning world champion team will be considering its future options, with Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton's contracts expiring at the end of the 2018 season.

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff said: "Force India have a strong record of working with young drivers and have again shown courage and vision to take Esteban under their wing.

"Even more, it is a positive development for Formula 1 that talent wins over money and we will be seeing some of the most impressive youngsters fighting to make it to the top in Formula 1 over the coming years."

Autosport.com 

Mexico GP - Race - Force India Quotes

Perez gained three positions at the start to move into the points but was despondent on the radio for much of the race, as the timing of his pit stop meant he came out behind Massa. No matter what he tried, the Williams' straight-line speed was too great and he could never pull off an overtake. Hulkenberg also had a great start, jockeying for third before being pegged back by faster cars. He looked to have the beating of Raikkonen's Ferrari but on much older tyres, couldn't keep the Scuderia at bay. Seventh was still a credible result.

Nico Hulkenberg, 7th
“Definitely not a bad effort today and the best result we could hope for in regular circumstances. I made a great start, but once the pit stops were out of the way, it turned out to be quite a lonely afternoon for me. This allowed me to manage my tyres and my pace. At the end, the battle with Kimi [Raikkonen] was always going to be difficult, because he had a massive tyre advantage over me: I was surprised we could keep him behind for so long. I tried to defend as hard as I could on the inside, but braking on a dirty line with 60-lap-old tyres is quite tricky! He turned in on me and there was no way I could stop the car, so I forced it into a spin to avoid a crash. In the end, it was a good weekend: qualifying was my highlight and we’ve come away with a solid result today. We leave Mexico having strengthened our fourth place in the constructors’ championship, so there is plenty to smile about tonight.”

Sergio Perez, 10th
“Even though I scored a point today, it was a very frustrating race being stuck behind the Williams cars and unable to overtake. I tried everything I could, but it’s not easy because they had a straight-line speed advantage. There were a few occasions when I was very close to making the move stick on Felipe [Massa], but in the end it just wasn’t possible. I think maybe we could have tried something different with the strategy because we underestimated the effect of the medium tyre, which turned out to have much more life than we expected. So perhaps we could have pitted earlier and run longer on the medium. That’s something we need to analyse and understand if it would have made a difference to our result. Even with the tenth place today the fans were cheering for me. They are so loyal; always behind me and they have given me so much positive energy all week. Although I wanted to give them a better result, this has still been the most enjoyable race of the year.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“Scoring seven points in Mexico is an excellent result after a very strong performance by the team all weekend long. The pace of the car was excellent and both drivers delivered what we needed. Nico was pushing hard in the closing laps to keep the Ferrari of Raikkonen at bay, but in the end seventh was the maximum result achievable. Sergio spent most of his race behind the Williams cars, but despite his best efforts he had to settle for the final point. It means we’ve increased our points’ advantage in the constructors’ championship with just two races to go. We also take encouragement from the pace we have shown in both qualifying and the race.”

Formula1.com

Mexico GP - Qualifying - Force India Quotes

Perez failed to make Q3 for the second race in a row. In front of a raucous home crowd, he could only manage 12th but does have the consolation of free tyre choice. Hulkenberg put in one of the laps of the session to grab P5, his best qualifying since Austria. Double points will be the target for Force India. 

Nico Hulkenberg, 5th,  1:19.330
“It’s been a very good qualifying session for me and I am very happy with the result. Our car works pretty well on every circuit nowadays, but I felt it just got better and better through qualifying as the track improved. My first lap in Q3 was mega, possibly my best qualifying lap of the season, and I don’t think there was anything more I could extract from it. We need to keep ourselves out of trouble at the start but I won’t let what happened last week influence me: every time you get to turn one, there is a unique dynamic and you just have to play it by ear. We have a good idea of where we are for the race and we’ll get our head down and build on today’s result.”

Sergio Perez, 12th, 1:20.287
“It’s a shame to miss out on Q3 today, but I’m optimistic we can recover some positions in the race with a strong strategy. In Q2 we went out on the soft tyres to see if we could progress to Q3, but for my second run we switched to the supersoft tyres. Unfortunately I made a small mistake on my final lap, which ended my chance of qualifying inside the top ten. I just locked up the front tyres going into turn one and ran wide. I apologise for the mistake, but I hope I can give all my fans some happiness in the race tomorrow. The good news is that we made some progress with the car in between final practice and qualifying: our race pace looks competitive and I think we can come away with a good result tomorrow.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“Overall a satisfying qualifying session for us. Nico has been competitive all weekend and qualifying in fifth place is a fantastic effort – ahead of both Ferraris. Sergio also showed good speed today and made real progress with the car this morning. Had it not been for a small mistake in Q2 he would have joined Nico in the top ten. Starting from P12 will open up some interesting choices in terms of strategy and we are confident he can make progress in the race. It’s a huge weekend for us with great support from our Mexican partners and fan base, and we will do all we can to give everybody something to celebrate on Sunday evening. ”

Formula1.com

Mexico GP - Friday - Force India Quotes

Hulkenberg looked more settled than Perez in the afternoon, after both had enjoyed a solid FP1. The German said, like everyone else, that finding the balance was difficult, but believes they have a good direction for the rest of the weekend. Perez admitted that he struggled in FP2, but agreed with his team mate that they have the basis to hone the car overnight without losing pace relative to the competition.

Sergio Perez - FP1: 1:21.200, P4; FP2: 1:21.579, P15
"Racing at home is a very emotional moment, but when I get in the car it's important that I treat this weekend like any other race. The morning went very well and I had a good feeling with the car. I struggled more in the afternoon, but we know where we need to focus and the direction we need to take to improve for tomorrow. The conditions today were not what we anticipated, but the rest of the weekend should be warmer: we will need to set the car up for what we think we are going to find on race day, but I think the data we collected today will allow us to do so."

Nico Hulkenberg - FP1: 1:21.409, P5; FP2: 1:20.574, P6
"The main focus on Friday is to complete your programme without issues, and from this perspective we had a good day. Most of the challenges we are facing are the same as last year – the altitude makes a big difference to the feel of the car with a loss of downforce – so we need to adapt to the conditions to find the ideal balance for the car. The rest of the day was quite standard, mostly learning about the tyre compounds, and I feel we did a good job with it. The morning session didn't tell us much: the track was very cold and very dirty, so getting good information was difficult. We were able to assess the tyres in the afternoon and there wasn't any particular surprise. In terms of car balance, we have made a good start but I am not completely happy yet: there is still a good margin for improvement and I hope we can dial our car in to find it overnight."

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
"It was very cold this morning, meaning the conditions weren't very representative of what we expect for the rest of the weekend. Track temperatures were slightly higher in the afternoon, and we could focus on understanding the two race tyre compounds: medium and soft. We didn't have any interruptions and gathered a lot of good data about how to set the car up on race day. Overall, Nico appears happier with the base balance of the car, whereas there are still a few elements on which to work with Sergio. Our focus now is on preparing the car for qualifying with a view to extracting the most out of it – it's the work we will be doing in the final practice session tomorrow morning."

Formula1.com

Mexico GP - Force India Preview

Sergio Perez
“Mexico City may be quite far from my city of Guadalajara, but I go there very often for professional reasons. It’s a city I love and there’s so much going on: the best restaurants, so many sights and so many things to do. It is a huge city and sometimes traffic makes going from one side of town to the other feel like an adventure! It is, not surprisingly, one of my favourite moments in the season and last year’s was special not just for me, but for my team and for anyone who came to the race.
“I have no doubt this year’s event will be even better than last year - expectations are huge following the success of 2015. For me, the biggest surprise was the passion of the fans: all the affection I received, all the messages and all the incredible moments I experienced are what really made an impression on me. I am so happy to go back there.
“The track itself is brilliant: my two favourite parts are the fast esses and the Foro Sol. It’s a very technical circuit, with some tricky corners: at the speeds we are doing, managing the car is very complicated and it’s important not to lose your rhythm. There is no key place where you can make or break your lap, except perhaps the slow section inside the stadium: you have to nail the combinations of corners to be able to string together a good lap. I am really looking forward to trying the track surface - last year, the asphalt was completely new, so this year it should be a big improvement.”

Nico Hulkenberg
“I am looking forward to going back to Mexico. Last year the whole race week was a huge thrill and you could feel all the excitement from the Mexican people as Formula One was coming back after more than 20 years. The happiness and enthusiasm were incredible, and the vibe we could feel was great - I had goosebumps the first time I got to the track and saw all the fans. I hope this year we’ll have a similar experience: I know what we had in 2015 will be hard to match, but I trust the locals!
“The circuit facilities are nice, even though the track is perhaps not one of the most challenging. The first sector, though, is fun to drive - Turns 1 to 3 make up a good combination: it’s a triple corner, quite slow in the race but exciting in qualifying, as it gets quicker with lots of grip and low fuel.
“The altitude makes our set-up choice interesting: we have a high-downforce package on the car, but the thin air results in a downforce level similar to what we have in Monza. The car feels loose and very floaty, and massively quick in a straight line: last year we went over 360 km/h on the main straight. We had a good result last year and hopefully we can go even better this year.”

Vijay Mallya, team principal
“We are really looking forward to the weekend in Mexico, a race that has already become a favourite for everyone in Formula One. Last year, the event felt like a huge celebration of our sport and we are looking forward to experiencing the same incredible levels of passion again.
“Off track, this is one of the most important races of our season. We have a large number of Mexican team partners and we are keen to get a special result in their home race. Of course, we also have the Checo-factor: we saw all the fans cheering for him in Austin and we know of the huge following he has in his home country, so we expect the majority of the people in the stands to be supporting us. It will feel like having a home advantage and we hope to contribute to a very enjoyable race.
“On track, however, this is a race like any other: we need to focus on our job and do it right to move one step closer to our objective of finishing fourth in the championship. The characteristics of the track should suit us and I expect us to be fighting for points.”

Formula1.com

American GP - Race - Force India Quotes

Hulkenberg's race ended on lap one when he collided with Vettel and Bottas at the start. He limped back to the pits but had too much damage to continue. Perez didn't get away cleanly either, hit from behind by Kvyat in an incident which earned the Russian a ten-second penalty. Fortunately the Mexican was able to continue and came home in the points.

Sergio Perez, 8th
“Eighth place was a good recovery after our race was compromised on lap one. I was hit hard from the rear under braking for turn 11 by Kvyat, who made a mistake and came in with no control. All of a sudden I was effectively in last place and with a badly damaged car. It was a difficult recovery, but step by step we got back into the points and in the end we didn’t get a bad result. We got all the strategy calls right and this helped us overcome the damage to the car because we made up positions in both pit stops. To come away with four points and to move up to seventh in the drivers’ championship is a good result in these circumstances. It’s important to hold on when you get a difficult weekend, especially in races with high attrition, and score every point you can get, but the regret remains because I think we could have finished fifth today.”

Nico Hülkenberg, DNF
“It’s really disappointing to have another first lap retirement. I just ran out of space going into turn one because I got sandwiched between Valtteri [Bottas] on my left and Sebastian [Vettel] on the right. Sebastian turned in quite aggressively, made contact with me, and that pushed me into Valtteri. I think it could have been avoided if Sebastian had given us a bit more space, but it all happened so quickly and I had nowhere to go. It’s really frustrating when you have a quick car and your race only lasts ten seconds. We had done all the hard work on Friday and Saturday, but all that effort counted for nothing.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“We had a pretty disastrous first lap – not for the first time this year. Nico was eliminated in turn one as he got squeezed between Bottas and Vettel. The resulting contact broke the steering arm and forced us to retire the car. Later in the lap, Sergio was hit by Kvyat going into turn 11 and he dropped to the back of the field. Despite picking up damage to the floor, he staged a remarkable recovery drive to finish eighth. To be leaving Austin with just four points is disappointing, especially considering the speed we had in the car this weekend. That said, we’ve only dropped a couple of points in the fight for fourth place in the constructors’ championship and we take encouragement from the car’s competitiveness across the weekend. It means we can go to Mexico confident of delivering a similar level of performance.”

Formula1.com

American GP - Qualifying - Force India Quotes

Perez was unfortunate to be bumped out of Q3 in the dying seconds, missing out by one tenth. Starting 11th, he will have the consolation of free tyre choice for the race. Hulkenberg did make Q3 and impressed once again to be 'best of the rest' in seventh. 

Nico Hulkenberg, 7th, 1:36.628
“Lining up seventh on the grid is as good as it gets today. Once again, we’re the first after the three big teams, which is where we can realistically expect to be. We knew we would perform well here, but I am actually quite surprised by the big margin we have over the cars behind us. The start and the first lap will be fundamental for the race, so I will need to keep out of trouble, put my head down and push hard. Choosing the right strategy is where we will focus tonight – I think there are a few different options, so we will need to see which one gives us the best opportunity. Looking at the gaps ahead and behind us, we may be in for a bit of a lonely afternoon, but I wouldn’t mind it at all – I just want a strong result!”


Sergio Perez, 11th, 1:37.353
“It has been a messy day – not only qualifying, but final practice as well. For some reason, I’ve been quite a long way off the pace and we’ve lost some of the performance we had yesterday. This morning we found an issue with one of the components at the rear of the car, which impacted on my pace. I thought we had solved that going into qualifying, but I still believe there is an issue with the car because the data showed it was very difficult for me to match my teammate in the braking zones. The car also felt nervous through the high-speed corners. Hopefully we can understand where I’m losing out and figure out a solution so that it does not impact on my race pace tomorrow.”


Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“The car has been quick here straight out of the box and it’s satisfying to see Nico qualify in seventh place. He clearly had the edge over the cars behind him in Q3 and should be able to race well from there. Being right behind the top three teams is probably the maximum we can hope for on a regular day at this stage of the season, but we still needed to get the best out of our package to be there. Sergio has struggled for confidence with the car today, but starting from eleventh place could open up some opportunities for us in the race. We will analyse the data tonight to see if there is anything we can do to restore the balance he had with the car yesterday. With the conditions likely to remain the same for tomorrow, we expect to be competitive and bring home a good result.”

Formula1.com

American GP - Friday - Force India Quotes

Hulkenberg and Perez were both happy with the way their days went (half a day in the latter's case), and felt they arrived at a good starting set-up. Celis was pleased with his performance, when he ran Perez's car in FP1.

Nico Hulkenberg - FP1: 1:39.712, P5; FP2: 1:38.508, P6
"It was a straightforward Friday - the way you want to start a weekend, really. We didn't have any major issues with the car and we were able to do a good amount of mileage. We tried a few different things with our set-up this afternoon, so the job tonight is to try and understand the best direction to take going forward. I am reasonably happy with the balance of the car, but I know we can make some improvements tonight. So we're in a good place to start and I am optimistic for tomorrow and Sunday."

Sergio Perez - FP2: 1:38.568, P8
"I was only in the car this afternoon, but I got up to speed very quickly and I am quite happy with my laps – I think we're in a promising position. The car feels okay and I think we found the set-up window quite early. Nico tried a different approach to me and it should have helped the team get all the information we need to make a good decision for tomorrow."

Alfonso Celis - FP1: 1:41.422, P17
"I'm pleased about the improvement I could see throughout the morning, especially in the slow and medium-speed corners, and in the braking zones. I only had two sets of supersoft tyres available, so I had to be smart with how I used them. You never get everything out of a lap on the first attempt and by the end of the run your tyres are no longer at their best, but taking this into account, I am pleased with what I achieved. Most importantly, I went out to collect data for the team and we got all we needed, which is what I am meant to do. On a personal level, it was great to see many Mexican fans out in the stands. I won't be in Mexico City next week, but I was really happy to see support from my home country - it was very motivating."

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal 
"We are pleased with how things went today. This morning Alfonso picked up where he left off in Monza and did a good job on this difficult and technical circuit. All the drivers were happy with the baseline balance, but the conditions were very windy, which added an extra challenge for setting up the cars. The main focus was on high fuel running and understanding the three tyre compounds, which performed as we expected with no real surprises. Because it was so wet last year, we have very little reference data in the dry, especially at these warm temperatures, so there was even more learning to be done. Overall, we've made a solid start and I believe we are in good shape heading into the weekend."

Formula1.com