Austrian GP - Preview - Force India Quotes

Sergio Perez
"I am still smiling about the podium we scored in Baku. It was an amazing weekend for us. We got the calls right; we executed our race plan perfectly and we finished in the top three on merit. I feel very proud of my team and I think it was one of my most competitive races in Formula One. It wasn't a completely smooth weekend with the gearbox penalty pushing us backwards on the grid, but we were able to overcome the difficulties, which made it an even sweeter result.

"I travel to Austria on a high and determined to deliver another strong result. This race is one of my favourites because the track is nice to drive and I enjoy the atmosphere with the fans camping around the circuit. There are lots of elevation changes and some challenging corners: you cannot make mistakes in any of them or it will cost you a lot of time on the straights. It's also a short lap so the gaps between the cars are always very small and that makes for a very tight grid. 

"We've made a lot of progress with the car since Barcelona and I expect us to be competitive this weekend. There are a few decent overtaking opportunities, especially the big braking zone at turn two, so there should be some good action in the race."

Nico Hulkenberg
"I love racing in Spielberg and it's a great addition to the calendar. The backdrop to the track, with the Alps, is spectacular, and there is an old school vibe to the circuit, which I enjoy. The atmosphere is very relaxed and lots of German fans make the short trip over the border so it almost feels like a home race for me.

"We look strong coming to Austria but we're not taking anything for granted. The track is fun and it has a very nice flow, but it can easily catch you out, especially the last few corners, which are quite technical. I had a great race in Austria last year and have a good feeling about this weekend. The car is working well and we've taken a big step forward since the start of the year so there is the potential for another good result."

Vijay Mallya, team principal
 "Seeing our team on the podium for the second time in less than a month makes me incredibly proud. The result in Baku was achieved completely on merit and everybody in the team deserves credit for helping make these results possible. We are experiencing the best run of form in the team's history and we are enjoying the moment.

"There has been a lot of talk about the team switching focus to 2017, but this doesn't mean we won't be strong for the rest of 2016. There is a lot of performance still to be extracted from our current package and I am confident we can put on a good show in the races to come. Having scored two podiums in three races, we've got a taste for success and I would like to see us pick up more silverware before the end of the year.  

"The races come thick and fast during July with four races in the space of a month. The next race in Austria is a venue we enjoy and we expect to be competitive once again. It's a great moment for the team and there is a special atmosphere back at our Silverstone base. We've shown that we can give the leading teams a run for their money and that's a huge motivation for everyone at Force India."

Formula1.com

Force India switches focus to 2017 car

Force India has shifted the majority of its resources to its 2017 Formula 1 car with the focus for '16 now on getting the most out of its current package.

Teams face a challenge to divide budget between 2016 to maximise their championship position and prize money and '17 when new rules offer a chance to mix up the order.

Force India introduced a big update for the Spanish Grand Prix last month, which has since yielded podiums in two of the last three races courtesy of Sergio Perez.

The plan is now to fully utilise that package but further developments for 2016 are now unlikely as the team looks to get ahead next term. 

"Like everybody, the switchover will have already started but I don't see us putting an awful lot more effort into this car," deputy team principal Bob Fernley told Autosport.
"There's more that we can get out of the current set-up."

When asked if the switch of the majority of resources has already happened, Fernley said: "Yes, more or less.

"We have to develop what we have.

"The opportunity for next year is a complete new set of rules and a great chance for an incredibly good design team we have.

"You certainly don't want to give up the opportunity to start with a clean sheet next year."
Despite the shift in focus, Fernley said Force India's goal remains "to secure fifth" in the constructors' championship again this year.

It is 27 points clear of Toro Rosso and 31 adrift of Williams in fourth after Perez's third place in Baku.

"We've helped ourselves in Baku with that and Toro Rosso not scoring has helped us again," said Fernley.

"We've got to try and chase Williams.

"Toro Rosso are a strong team, so we've got to keep ourselves honest in that sense.
"Fifth is where we need to be.

"If we can get an edge on Williams we will go for it, but as long as we hold fifth it's a good season."

Autosport.com

European GP - Race - Force India Quotes

For the second time in three races, Sergio Perez bagged Force India a podium with a tenacious drive from seventh on the grid that saw him both hold off Lewis Hamilton and overtake Kimi Raikkonen. By contrast team mate Hulkenberg failed to capitalise on his car’s inherent pace after starting on softs and then having to run 31 laps on the supersofts – a strategy that left him vulnerable in the closing stages.

Sergio Perez, 3rd
“I knew that the podium was possible today, but we really had to work hard for it. The key to my race was the great start I made to get around a Williams [Massa] and a Toro Rosso [Kvyat]. Then, in the first stint I was suffering with graining of my supsersoft tyres and we had to decide whether to wait for it to improve or to make an early stop. In the end, we stayed out longer, which was the right decision, but when I came out of the pits I struggled to warm-up the soft tyres and I was under big pressure from Lewis [Hamilton] behind. I pushed as hard as I could and opened up a gap, and then I focussed on looking after my tyres. I closed in on Kimi [Raikkonen] and I knew he had a penalty, but on the final lap I got very close to him and saw the opportunity to overtake him, so I took it. To be on the podium for a second time this year feels fantastic. The team has done a brilliant job and we are having an amazing year.”

Nico Hulkenberg, 9th
“It was a fairly tough race for me. The start was ok, but coming into turn one someone [Gutierrez] hit me from behind. I lost a couple of positions trying to control the car and that put me a bit on the back foot. Getting through traffic in the opening stages was not very easy and it cost me a lot of time. Then, for the early part of the race, I was struggling with oversteer and in general I couldn’t find the same harmony with the car that I had in practice. Making the supersoft tyres last as long as I did - 31 laps - was not easy and by the end of the race I had very little left, but it was a risk I was happy to take to make our strategy work. The car had great potential all weekend long, but I feel I paid for the mistake I made yesterday in qualifying. However, I am pleased for the team’s result: it means we bring home a bunch of points which is a boost for our season.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“What a fantastic result from a weekend where we looked strong from the start. It is a success for the whole team: from the crew that repaired Checo’s damaged car after FP3 and produced two brilliant stops at a crucial time, to the guys on the pit wall who made the right calls, and of course everyone back at base. We knew we had the pace to fight at the front, even if we were starting further back than we wanted, but we delivered the result in the end. Checo drove well and a second podium in three races shows that he is getting the potential out of the car. Nico was unlucky to be hit at the start by Gutierrez, which ultimately compromised his race. He lost a few positions, but was able to keep the car facing the right way. Starting in P12, he had a different strategy and he was only a couple of laps away from finishing seventh, but he still claimed some important points. Today’s result strengthens our fifth position in the championship and moves us closer to fourth . I have no doubt there will be celebrations tonight!”

Formula1.com

BAKU GP - Qualifying - Force India Quotes

Perez hailed his Q3 effort as 'one of his best in F1', and coming so soon after his confidence denting crash in FP3, it would be hard to argue with that. A gearbox change following that crash means he'll drop from his front-row slot to P7, but a podium place isn't out of the question. In contrast, Hulkenberg failed to cash in on his car's inherent pace, with a mix up on his final Q2 run contributing to his elimination.

Sergio Perez - 2nd, 1:43.515
“That was a special qualifying session. In Q3 I did one of my best laps in Formula One - maximising every corner and kissing the walls. As a team it’s been a very strong performance. At the same time I’m still angry with myself because of what happened at the end of final practice and the grid penalty for the gearbox change. I should be starting from the front row of the grid, but I now have to drop back to seventh. Tonight I need to try and clear my mind, put that frustration behind me, and focus on moving forward in the race. I need to say a big ‘thank you’ to my team for the amazing job they did to fix my car in time for qualifying. I hope I can give them a special result to celebrate tomorrow. It’s not going to be an easy race because the track is so challenging and it’s easy to make mistakes, but at the same time this can open up opportunities to make up ground. I still have a good feeling about the race.”

Nico Hulkenberg - 12th, 1:44.824
“A very disappointing qualifying session for me. The car has been quick this weekend, but starting from P12 means we’ve got a big job on our hands tomorrow. The main problem in Q2 was spinning on my first run because I was on a mega lap that would have easily put me through to Q3. I just lost the rear at turn 16 and spun. Because I had not set a time yet, it meant I was under pressure and it all came down to the final few minutes. Unfortunately I had some traffic on my second run and I just didn’t feel the same grip with the car - and that’s how quickly things can slip away from you. It’s very frustrating and annoying because the car has good potential and we should have been much higher up. So it’s a bitter feeling, to be honest, but I’m determined to make up the lost ground tomorrow.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“It’s definitely a case of mixed feelings today. We’ve shown great pace in all practice sessions and we should have realistically aimed to have two cars on the front two rows, but for various reasons we will be starting in P7 and P12. Sergio’s performance in qualifying was spectacular. He delivered strong laps when it mattered; didn’t put a wheel wrong and finished the session up front. Unfortunately, the penalty we will suffer for the gearbox change shuffles him back to seventh, but I have no doubt he will make up positions during the race. It was very disappointing to lose Nico in Q2. He made a mistake on his first attempt, spinning when he was on a very good lap, and sadly he wasn’t able to make it into the top ten with the final run. It’s a big missed opportunity for us today, but Nico has been quick all weekend and can make up ground tomorrow. The important thing will be to keep out of trouble in the first few corners and make the right calls to make sure we finish where we should.”

Formula1.com

European GP - Friday - Force India Quotes

Force India had their tail well and truly up after strong performances in both sessions. Both drivers said they were happy with the set-up they arrived at, and that they loved driving the track. After one of their strongest Friday showings, optimism is very high for the rest of the weekend.
 
Sergio Perez - FP1: 1:48.922, P6; FP2: 1:45.336, P3
“I knew when I walked the track yesterday that it was going to be good fun to drive - and today didn’t disappoint. It’s an amazing circuit: really challenging, no margin for error, and a real pleasure to drive. I kept things tidy today, but it’s easy to make a mistake and we saw that when cars do run wide they really pay a high penalty. It’s been a very positive day for us. The car felt good as soon as we started the first session and we were up there straight away with competitive times. That’s a good sign for the rest of the weekend and I’m feeling optimistic about our performance.”

Nico Hulkenberg - FP1: 1:49.301, P10; FP2: 1:45.920, P5
“Coming here to Baku has been great fun and the track is very cool. It’s got a bit of everything, with long straights, big braking zones and some exciting high-speed corners, which all the drivers enjoy. So, overall you have to say they’ve done a really good job with the circuit and it makes a nice change to come here and try something that is so different. In terms of our performance, I’m pleased with how things went today: the car feels well balanced and we made some improvements between the two sessions. We have good speed in the car and we are on the pace with some competitive lap times. It’s a good starting point heading into the weekend.”

Robert Fernley, deputy team principal
“Congratulations to everybody involved in bringing this race to the calendar. The city of Baku has given us an extremely warm welcome and they’ve delivered an outstanding circuit. Both our drivers love the layout and managed to get up to speed quickly during the opening session. Our performance looks promising at this stage and we also showed good consistency during the long runs. Of course, heading into qualifying there will be some fine-tuning to ensure we find some more speed, but we’ve had a successful first day on track and have a good understanding of the car.”

Formula1.com

European GP - Force India Preview

Sergio Perez
“The last weekend in Canada was not one of the easiest for me, so to come away from it with a point was a good result. I have now been in the points for the last four races on a range of very different tracks: this builds our confidence and makes us believe we can challenge for a place in the top ten in every race.

“To prepare for Baku I have watched the onboard video that was circulated and the first impression is that the track is going to be really challenging. There are a lot of tight sections, as you would expect from a street track, but it looks more high-speed than Monaco: it’s the kind of circuit I enjoy driving and it should make for a good show.

“I’ve never been to Azerbaijan, so it feels like an adventure. It’s always interesting to explore a new place for the first time and take in the sights of a new city. It’s great that our sport keeps going to new countries and reaching out to new fans. Once we get to the track, though, it’s business as usual. It’s important to learn the circuit quickly, so the track walk with the engineers and the first practice session are crucial. You need to get up to speed within a handful of laps.”
Nico Hulkenberg
“Canada was a positive race as we were able to get the most out of a relatively straightforward weekend. To finish eighth in a race with such low attrition was a very good result and it showed we can fight for points everywhere. There is every reason to believe we can continue this run as we approach the summer break, and this obviously spurs us on.
“I’m massively excited about the race in Baku, actually! New venues are cool; everything is fresh and everyone welcomes you. I have to admit I don’t know a lot about Azerbaijan, so it will be exciting to get to know this new place. I like to arrive in a place and get out to discover it: it’s one of the perks of our job, being able to see so much of the world.
“Learning the track is crucial. I haven’t had a chance to try it in the simulator yet but I saw the video on YouTube earlier last week. In any case, it really is all about getting there, getting into the car and finding out about the track in those first few laps. The layout looks fast, especially for a street circuit: there is a massive straight, with just a few flat-out kinks, and some more twisty sections which will require a compromise in terms of set-up. I am a big fan of street circuits: they provide you with unique thrills, you drive close to the walls and it’s much more of a challenge to push your car and yourself to the limit”

Vijay Mallya, team principal
“The race in Canada was another strong indication of the good steps forward we have been taking since the start of the season. We showed good pace all weekend and delivered a solid performance in the race. This result increased our advantage over our direct rivals in the constructors’ championship and consolidates our fifth position. We now have a very quick turnaround to get ready for Baku – a big challenge, especially as it’s a new addition to the calendar.
“Formula One’s arrival to a new country is always a positive sign: it shows there is a lot of appetite for our sport in new markets, which is not something we should underestimate. Some of the recent additions to the calendar, like Austin, Mexico and Russia, have proved to be very successful and there is no reason why Azerbaijan shouldn’t follow this trend. Hopefully, we will have a very interesting race to mark the start of this new venue’s history.
“The track is a mix of long straights and sharp corners and reminds me of the layout in Singapore. It has the characteristics of a street circuit, but it looks like there are some wide corners that offer overtaking opportunities. The way our car and the tyres will behave is still an open question as nobody has any data about the track, but it’s a challenge to which we look forward. We come to Azerbaijan in high spirits and we look forward to another race where I’m sure we can be competitive.”

Formula1.com 

Canadian GP - Race - Force India Quotes

Two different strategies and two cars in the points marks another good race for Force India. Perez opted to start on the soft compound but was unable to make it last as long as needed and switched to a two-stop race. This proved to be a good move as, armed with fresher rubber, he made some late overtakes on Alonso and Kvyat to steal the final point.

Nico Hülkenberg, 8th
“I’m happy to score points, but at the same time I was hoping for a bit more from the race because I really believed we could challenge the top six. For some reason the car didn’t feel as good today as it did during practice and qualifying. Maybe it’s because the conditions were so cold and windy, which meant we lost the sweet spot and the car was not easy to drive. That’s something we need to look at in more detail and understand. At the start I didn’t get off the line very well, but I had a great first lap and recovered some positions. Then, the story of my race was simply tyre management. I think we made the right calls with the tyre strategy because even though we wanted to try and one stop it just wasn’t possible in the end.”

Sergio Perez, 10th
“It was a difficult race and looking back I don’t think we chose the optimum strategy. We tried to go down a different route compared to everyone else, but the cooler track conditions didn’t help: it was very difficult to get heat into the soft tyres during the first stint and that cost me a few positions at the start. I got stuck behind the two McLarens and that hurt my race. I lost a few seconds at the final stop when I briefly stalled the car and that dropped me behind Kvyat, but I managed to get the position back with an overtake going into turn one. In any case, to bring both cars home inside the points is a good result for the team, especially when the weekend doesn’t really go your way. We gave it our best and we have come home with points in the bag.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“To come away from Montreal with another double points finish is a very good effort which consolidates our fifth place in the championship. We started the race hoping we could pull off a one-stop strategy with both cars, but with lots of tyre graining and high wear rates we opted to switch to a two-stop race. Most of the cars around us did the same, so it was the sensible course of action to cover our bases. Nico’s race was pretty non-eventful and he did well in the opening few laps to recover the ground he lost when he bogged down at the start. Sergio’s race was compromised by the slow warm-up of the soft tyres, which dropped him behind both McLarens and cost him quite a bit of time. To recover and score the final point was a good effort. After the chilly conditions of Montreal, we look forward to the weather that awaits us in Baku next week.”

Formula1.com
 

Canadian GP -Qualifying - Force India Quotes

It was Hulkenberg's last-gasp lap in Q2 that relegated team mate Perez into 11th place. The Mexican won't be too disheartened as he will have free tyre choice for tomorrow, and will be confident of chasing more good points for the team following his podium last time out.

Nico Hülkenberg, 9th, 1:13.952
“I’m feeling happy with our performance today. You always want to be higher up, but I think we maximised our opportunities and ninth is a solid effort, which should bring us some good points tomorrow. The margins were very small, so it was important to deliver the laps without any mistakes because even a couple of tenths can cost you four of five positions on the grid. The conditions were quite stable and even the rain during Q1 didn’t affect the grip levels too much. If the rain comes back tomorrow, it will definitely make things interesting, especially if it’s heavy rain because aquaplaning can be an issue here on the smooth surface. If it stays dry, I will have to start on the ultra-soft tyres, just like everybody else in the top ten, and try and use a good strategy to move forward.”

Sergio Perez, 11th, 1:14.317
“I knew reaching Q3 was going to be difficult because we had to use more tyres than we would have wanted in Q1. It meant we only really had one set of ultra-softs available in Q2 to get the job done. In any case, I gave it all I could and the end result was P11, which is not a bad place to start the race. In Montreal, you can expect the unexpected, especially with the weather being in the balance, so there’s everything to play for tomorrow. I think we’re looking good in racing conditions with solid pace so we can definitely fight for some good points.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“We knew heading into qualifying that we would need to deliver perfect laps in order to reach Q3, so to be lining up in ninth and eleventh is a good effort. The weather kept us guessing for most of the session and, despite some light drizzle, it was not enough to influence the proceedings. Nico’s laps were clean and tidy, but we didn’t quite have the pace to get on level terms with the top eight. As for Sergio, he just missed out on Q3, but starting eleventh means he can choose the tyres he starts on tomorrow. Strategy will be crucial for the race, so hopefully we can make this small advantage count. The uncertain weather forecast also means that it’s difficult to make any predictions. If it’s dry, our race pace will be strong, based on what we saw during our long runs yesterday, but we also know we can be strong in the wet too. Whatever happens we’ve put ourselves in a good position to score points with both cars.”

Formula1.com

Canadian GP - Friday Practice - Force India Quotes

Both drivers were happy with the way the VJM09 felt from the start, and how the team kept pace as the track changed dramatically between the two sessions. Work tonight focuses on braking stability and traction refinements

Nico Hulkenberg - FP1: 1:16.464, P7; FP2: 1:15.321, P9
“We did a large number of laps today, especially this afternoon, and that’s what you want from a Friday. The car felt good from the start, which is always an encouraging sign, and we kept on top of the track evolution, which changed a lot as the day went on. The two sessions have been fairly straightforward: a lot of tweaks and small changes to try to find the ideal balance and a bit more speed for qualifying. In general it has been a good day that gave us a lot of information”

Sergio Perez - FP1: 1:16.577, P9; FP2: 1:15.493, P12
“The changing weather between the morning and the afternoon meant we had two very different sessions. The track was very green at first, but we still managed to learn a lot about the car and the tyres. The red flag cost us a bit of time, especially as we had just gone out for our first run when that happened. The potential for a good result in qualifying is there, but of course we need to do some work tonight to make sure we’re in the right position tomorrow. Finding the right balance under braking and good traction is crucial here so those are the areas where we are focussing our attention.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“Today’s programme featured a few test items aimed specifically at the requirements of this unique circuit, plus the usual Friday runs to understand the behaviour of the tyre compounds over shorter and longer stints. As always, being able to cover a good number of laps was key to the success of our day, so we can be satisfied with the outcome. Both drivers have been happy with the car from the start and feel optimistic heading into Saturday. At this circuit the margins are very small with just half a second covering fourth to fourteenth places today, so getting together the perfect lap in qualifying will be especially important”

Formula1.com

Canada GP - Force India Preview

Sergio Perez
“Montreal is one of my favourite circuits: I was on the podium there in 2012; I had one of my best races in 2014 and I feel positive ahead of this year’s race. It’s an old school track and, while the layout is much faster than Monaco, it shares some of its characteristics: it’s a circuit that rewards bravery and punishes mistakes, a place where the driver can make a difference.

“In the past there have been some unpredictable races in Canada and you always have to keep an eye on the weather. I think we can be quick there and the changes we’ve made to the car recently have made a big difference. I have a good feeling with the car; it’s giving me confidence to really push and that’s very important for a track like Montreal.”

Nico Hulkenberg
“The week in Montreal is always one of the best of the year. You can see how much Canada loves Formula One because the whole city embraces the race and the locals give us a very warm welcome. There’s a huge buzz around town and a lot of events that create a special atmosphere. 

“I really enjoy driving in Montreal. It’s a challenging track - you need to attack the kerbs and get really close to the walls. There is also a big emphasis on braking performance and traction out of the low-speed corners. The tyre choices are at the softer end of the range, so there will be some aggressive strategies, but these tyres worked well for us in Monaco. It’s hard to overtake there, but the final chicane is definitely the best opportunity. 

“Monaco was a frustrating weekend for me. Despite scoring a very good sixth place, we missed a big opportunity to be even higher up. The car felt great all week and we really found the sweet spot. I think we can carry this performance into Canada and be just as competitive. It’s almost a street track and you need to really lean on the car to get the lap time.”

Vijay Mallya, team principal
“The Monaco performance means we come to Canada full of confidence. The 23 points we claimed in Monaco lifted us to fifth place in the championship. I’ve been saying all season that our luck needs to change and I hope that Monaco represents a turning point. We now have some momentum and I believe we can push on and keep racking up the points in the races to come. Montreal should play to our strengths and I’m feeling optimistic that we can get both cars well inside the top ten in qualifying and the race.” 

Formula1.com

Monaco GP - Race - Force India Quotes

After their best ever qualifying in Monaco, Force India had a race to remember. Perez made the most of his strategy, extending his stint on the wet tyres and recording three consecutive fastest laps on the soft rubber to score his third Force India podium. Hulkenberg's strategy calls proved to be slightly less favourable but he showed good speed to overtake Rosberg on the final lap and grab sixth place.

Sergio Perez, 3rd
“A podium in Monaco is a very special moment. It’s one of my best ever races, especially when you see how difficult the conditions were today: you had to concentrate so hard and it was easy to make a mistake. The key to my race was the strategy and we got things just about perfect today. The first difficult decision was when to fit the intermediate tyre and we delayed this as long as possible. The team said it was my call when to come in and it paid off because we managed to jump a couple of cars, including my teammate. The switch to dry tyres was another key moment because I pitted early, a lap before Rosberg and Vettel, and managed to jump ahead of them. The soft tyres worked really well, but I knew I needed to look after them and it wasn’t easy because there was pressure behind from Vettel for most of the race. Everybody in the team deserves this result and I want to dedicate this podium to Vijay Mallya in particular.”

Nico Hülkenberg, 6th
“It was ultimately a disappointing race for me, despite getting back to scoring points. I feel the timing of our first pit stop was wrong and that cost me track position and put me straight into traffic. This effectively ruined my race, as I spent the rest of the afternoon stuck there. It’s very frustrating as I had the pace to be on the podium today, but this is racing and it’s just the way it often is in Monaco. I was able to finally get past Rosberg with a good move on the exit of the final corner: we were on worn out tyres, it started to drizzle and it was very tricky to keep the car facing in the right direction. I got a better exit out of the corner and I think I got him by just a car’s length. All in all, I still feel it’s a huge missed opportunity for me. The car was in the sweet spot, it gave me a lot of confidence and I just had a good feeling today, but it was not to be.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“What a race! It’s amazing to be celebrating our fourth podium finish and Sergio's third with the team. It wasn’t easy to make the right calls with the strategy, but when given the opportunity to score a special result, Sergio didn't put a single wheel wrong and grabbed it with both hands. To be honest, these decisions can often go the other way and we will review the wet to intermediate call we made with Nico. We opted to make an early stop for the intermediate tyres, but he got stuck behind Massa, which proved very costly for his race. Despite the disappointment for Nico, it's a very special day for the team, one that will live with us for a very long time. It's our best ever result in Monaco and we will celebrate this moment. We have reclaimed fifth in the championship, we showed that the VJM09 is a very competitive package and we got a big confidence boost as we head to a number of tracks that will play to our strengths.”

Formula1.com

Monaco GP - Qualifying - Force India Quotes

Perez had to make a dive down the escape road in FP3, but other than that Force India had a good day at the office. Hulkenberg put a great lap together to qualify fifth and will be looking for his first finish since China. Perez on the other hand was just behind in eighth meaning a double points finish could be on the cards.

Nico Hülkenberg, 5th, 1:14.726
“I’m very happy. We knew we had the speed to be inside the top ten today, but to qualify fifth is better than I expected. I’ve had good vibes since the start of the weekend and I’ve felt comfortable and confident since the start of practice on Thursday. We made a big step forward in Barcelona and today’s result shows that the car is working well, especially through the low-speed corners. My laps were clean and tidy in Q1 and Q2, and then in Q3 I was on the money and hit the sweet spot with my final lap. Of course, qualifying is only half the job and there is still a long race ahead of us with so many factors that can come into play tomorrow. In Monaco, nothing comes easy; you always have to work hard to earn your 
result, but I’ve put myself in a good position to come away with some important points.”

Sergio Perez, 8th, 1:14.902
“We had very good pace today and we made some steps forward compared to Thursday, but I struggled to get heat into the tyres and that’s why I feel a better position was possible. In any case, seventh is a good place to start so we are targeting a strong result. Monaco is probably the most important qualifying session of the year so it’s good to be starting well inside the top ten, but at the same time we know how unpredictable this race can be. Anything can happen, such as a safety car or rain, and you need to react quickly and make the right calls. You also need a bit of luck. It will be crucial to start well, as we know that what really matters in Monaco is track position. Tomorrow is going to be a whole different story and I am looking forward to the challenge.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“The qualifying session in Monaco can make or break your weekend and so today’s results are extremely satisfying. It’s the first time we’ve had two cars qualify inside the top ten in Monaco and Nico’s fifth place is our highest starting position here, and also our best starting position of the year. We’ve looked competitive all the way through practice and Nico and Sergio have steadily built up their speed with each session. They kept their noses clean today, coped with the traffic, and delivered some fantastic laps when it mattered. To be lining up fifth and seventh means we are well placed for a good result tomorrow. Anything can happen in Monaco but I am confident we will be ready to make the most of any opportunity.”

Formula1.com