Monaco GP - Thursday Practice - Force India Quotes

Sergio Perez - FP1: 1:14.201, P8; FP2: 1:13.799, P7
“Finishing in the top ten in both sessions is a good result, especially considering I am not feeling fully comfortable with the car yet. We have a lot of work to do before qualifying, but I am confident we can extract more performance and be really strong on Saturday. It hasn’t been easy to get the tyres into the right window today and this makes it very hard around a place like this where there is no margin for error. We have time tonight and tomorrow to analyse all the data and ensure we can get our set-up right for qualifying and the race.”

Esteban Ocon - FP1: 1:14.425, P10; FP2: 1:14.093, P15
“It was my first experience of Monaco from inside the cockpit and I am impressed. To be here for the first time in an F1 car is not easy, but I was able to do a good amount of laps and learn my way around the circuit. I took it step by step in the morning and felt satisfied with what we achieved. In FP2 I tried to push a bit more and I ended up brushing the walls a couple of times. Fortunately there was no significant damage and I could carry on with our programme. I am looking forward to being back in the car on Saturday and seeing where we stand in qualifying.”

Robert Fernley, deputy team principal
“We started FP1 pretty well and the drivers were immediately comfortable with the balance of the car. We tried a slightly different direction in FP2 and things didn’t really improve, so we will need to look at the changes we made to understand how to move forward for Saturday. Esteban had to get up to speed with a new circuit and he went very close to the limit at times, but that’s part of his learning process around this track. We were able to do a lot of mileage with the softer compounds and we also tried some new parts, which seem to be working as expected. Now it’s a matter of extracting some more potential from the car during FP3 and focussing on qualifying performance.”

Formula1.com 

Force India adds triple T-wing for Monaco

Force India has taken the development of T-wings in Formula 1 to a new level with the introduction of a triple design at the Monaco Grand Prix.

The team is one of the few that has not used a T-wing in F1 this season so far.
But with teams requiring as much downforce as possible for Monte Carlo, Force India has elected to add one to its car this weekend.

The result takes the oval concept that was pioneered by McLaren a step further - with an outer rounded edge that is split with a third element running across the middle.

T-wings - the result of a rules loophole - have proved to be a controversial element of the 2017 F1 aerodynamic regulations, with many fans objecting on aesthetic grounds.

Last month teams agreed to ban them for 2018.

But with T-wings still allowed for the remainder of this season, work is continuing on exploiting this area of the rules as much as possible.

While Force India has gone for a triple version, Haas has further updated its own design and is running a double oval version for the first time in Monte Carlo.

Autosport.com 

Monaco GP - Force India Preview

Talking points with Vijay Mallya

Vijay Mallya: “I’m very pleased with our performance over the first quarter of the year. 53 points from five races is a tremendous achievement and I’m proud to see Sahara Force India strengthen its fourth place in the championship. There is a great atmosphere in the team at the moment and plenty of determination. The VJM10 has improved race by race; we’ve continued to develop and we are performing well across some very different tracks. Monaco this week is always a special case with its unique layout, but we simply need to keep up our consistency and pick up points at every race. Our podium in Monaco last year was a special moment and those memories are still strong.”

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Driver’s Eye: Sergio Perez

Sergio: “When you think of Formula One, you think of Monaco. It’s the most important race and the one we all want to win. When I was a child, I dreamed about driving on the famous streets and I still feel excited every year I race there. To finish on the podium last year shows that anything is possible. It’s such a unique race; a big highlight of the year.
“Monaco is my favourite track because it’s the biggest challenge. I think the contribution of the driver is greater compared to other tracks. There is no room for mistakes and you need to take small risks to find extra performance. It’s a test of concentration for almost two hours, which is why it’s such a difficult race.
“The best parts of the lap are the quick sections. The swimming pool is impressive because we carry so much speed and you have to be very precise on the kerbs. Casino is also very quick and with these cars will be quite a challenge. There’s no room for error so you need to be careful that the car doesn’t step out of line through these parts of the lap.”

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Driver’s Eye: Esteban Ocon

Esteban: “Driving in Monaco is going to be a new experience for me because I’ve never raced there before. I used to come and watch the Formula One races when I was young, but I never had the opportunity to race there. It’s strange, because it’s such a famous lap and I know it so well in my head, but it’s always a different experience when you drive a track for real.
"To get ready for Monaco I’ve spent a lot of time in the simulator at our factory, but I still have a lot to learn during the practice sessions on Thursday. It’s a case of taking a step-by-step approach and getting to the limit gently. I normally enjoy street circuits and I am sure I can get up-to-speed quickly.
“This year Monaco is the closest thing I have to a home Grand Prix because it’s next door to France. It’s a very special place and I always feel a sense of history when I go there. The city is forever linked with Formula One and it’s currently the number one race of the year. For the drivers it gives a big rush of adrenaline and it’s the same for the fans watching. Everybody knows it’s a big challenge.”

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Tech Briefing

Sahara Force India's Chief Race Engineer, Tom McCullough, looks to the challenges of the Circuit de Monaco.
Monaco is a unique track and a big challenge from an engineering point of view, and it will be interesting to see how the new generation of cars adapts to it: the last time we raced cars this wide around the Principality was in 1993, so it will be a new experience for many of us. This circuit has a layout dominated by low speed corners, including the slowest of the year, the Fairmont hairpin at just 40kph: the set-up needs to be biased towards making the most of these low speeds. The cars are usually running at their maximum downforce as you need all the grip you can get. The lack of long straights also means few chances for cooling , which makes this track a test for engine and brakes. It’s a street circuit, so we witness a lot of track evolution as the weekend progresses – the grip increases steadily as we get towards the race. All in all, you need to work hard to give the driver a car that gives him confidence: with the walls so close, there is no room for error.

Forceindiaf1.com 

Force India Formula 1 team unveils its fix for car number rule

Force India has revealed the revisions it has made to its Formula 1 car's number scheme, following the €25,000 suspended fine it was given at the Spanish Grand Prix.

The team was called up by the stewards after the Barcelona race for having failed to put its numbers in a place that it was felt complied with new FIA requirements for greater visibility.
The new demands were that the numbers could be seen from the front of the car, and that either numbers or a driver's three letter abbreviation (TLA) be placed on the side of the car.

The Spanish GP stewards deemed that Force India's positioning of numbers on top of the nose, and on the sidepods, was inadequate.

Force India agreed to make changes and, during a filming day at Silverstone on Thursday it revealed that the location of the numbers on the nose had moved and a TLA had been added to the shark fin.

Speaking in Spain, Force India's COO Otmar Szafnauer said that his team had been reluctant to devote too much space to the numbers because it would compromise valuable sponsorship opportunities.

"Force India is a team that does pretty well on the track but doesn't do so well financially from the way the income is distributed," he said.
"So to be able to compete we have to maximise our income from sponsorship. To do that we need space on the car.

"I think there are personally other ways to distinguish what car you are looking at.

"Pink is pretty distinguishable so you know it is either going to be either Sergio [Perez] or Esteban [Ocon] and there are other ways that you can tell the drivers apart - like their helmets."

Autosport.com

Spanish GP - Race - Force India Quotes

Force India had aimed for a double points finish, but with a Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull out of the reckoning, they came home best of the rest in a stellar fourth and fifth. It was assured driving from both Perez and Ocon, who kept out of trouble at the start and from there were comfortably ahead of Hulkenberg's Renault. It is also a very valuable points boost for the team in their battle in the Constructors' championship, where they have a healthy lead over Williams.

Sergio Perez, 4th
“It has been an incredible day for us and I’m very proud of our team and the job we have done all weekend. Everything worked out for us and we have come away with some big points. We made the most of the opportunities that came up and we were there when it mattered to pick up the points. I didn’t make the best start, but I stayed out of trouble and made it safely around the first lap. Then I kept my head down, managed my speed and controlled the race to bring the car home. The only small issue was a slow pit stop, but I had enough time to the car behind and it didn’t make a difference. So big congratulations to the whole team because it hasn’t been an easy weekend in terms of finding a car set-up. To be leaving here with a fourth place feels amazing and gives us big confidence for the rest of the season.”

Esteban Ocon, 5th
“I’m really happy today. Fifth place is a great result for me and, together with Checo in fourth, a fantastic day for the team. It’s a great ending to a weekend where we worked incredibly hard and it’s a nice reward for everybody in the team. The car was fast in qualifying and we were on the pace straight away yesterday. We kept pushing and we showed good speed in the race as well. Sure, there were some circumstances this afternoon that helped us, but you need to be ready to take the opportunities when they come your way. Once we had made it through the first lap chaos, we had the pace to easily keep ahead of all the cars behind and we could manage our race. I feel we maximised what we could get out of today: the team are doing everything right at the moment and that’s what makes us so strong. There’s still a lot we can achieve this year: we are always there when it counts and the car is consistently fast. Scoring points every time we go out is what really matters for the championship so we need to keep up this consistency.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“A fantastic result for everybody at Sahara Force India. The 22 points scored strengthen our hold on fourth place in the championship and continue our 100% points-scoring record in every race this season. We are now the only team to have achieved this and that’s a huge credit to the hard work of the race team and factory. It was a fairly routine race from our perspective with mature drives from Sergio and Esteban. They kept their noses clean and managed their pace to bring home our best result of the year so far. This consistency is a real strength of the team and we can feel very satisfied with our performance over the first quarter of the season.”

Formula1.com

Spanish GP - Qualifying - Force India Quotes

Fresh from a successful qualifying in Russia, where both cars made Q3 for the first time this season, Force India were at it again - despite bringing fewer upgrades than many of their rivals. Perez was a solid eighth but Ocon was disappointed to be tenth, after missing the DRS activation zone and thus not benefiting on his flying lap.

Sergio Perez, 8th, 1:21.070
“I’m very happy to be up in P8, although I am a bit disappointed to lose out to Fernando [Alonso] by such a small margin. This result comes as a bit of a surprise after some difficult practice sessions, but I think the team did everything right this afternoon. I think the key to our performance was the way we approached our warm-up lap because we got the tyres in the correct window and found the grip when it mattered. The race is going to be long, but I have a new set of tyres, which we managed to save in Q1, and that should make a difference tomorrow. Overtaking is difficult here, so I hope I can make up some ground at the start: we have some very quick cars behind us who will give us a challenge, but I think we’re on course for a good race.”

Esteban Ocon, 10th, 1:21.272
“It’s great to make Q3 again, but I am disappointed not to be higher up the grid. My lap in Q3 was heavily compromised because I didn’t get the DRS to work – I pressed the button too early and the DRS didn’t open. So I missed out on some performance – maybe three tenths, which would have made a big difference. On the other hand, as a team we have both cars inside the top ten and we’ve shown that when it matters we are strong and consistent. That’s encouraging for tomorrow and for the races to come. A good start and strong first lap will be important tomorrow and I’m confident we have the speed to get a good result.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“It’s been a good day with both cars through to Q3. The team did a fantastic job overnight to unravel all the data from yesterday and dial the cars into this circuit. Barcelona provides a thorough test of a Formula One car and to be lining up in P8 and P10 shows the progress we continue to make with the development of the VJM10. Sergio’s performance was strong all day: he got through Q1 using just one set of tyres and delivered clean and tidy laps in Q2 and Q3. There was the potential for even more with Esteban and without the DRS issue he would have been higher up, but it’s something he will learn from. Track position is especially important at this track, so to be starting in the top ten means we’re in good shape to continue our run of points finishes.”

Formula1.com

Exclusive Q&A with Force India's Perez

Race after race Sergio Perez continues to consolidate his reputation as a topflight Formula 1 driver – albeit one who doesn’t yet have the machinery with which to win. Ahead of this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, we sat down with the Mexican to talk teams, team mates, and his ever-present F1 title aspirations…

Q: Checo, Sochi marked the 14th consecutive race in which you’ve finished in the points and right now you are level with Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo in the standings. Isn’t it about time a big team came along demanding your services?
Sergio Perez: This is a one-word answer, a very simple one: Yes! In capital letters. (Laughs) 

Q: That sounds like you are waiting for it…
SP: Yes.
Q: It is no secret that a number of driver contracts terminate at the end of this season. If a call comes, would you be available?
SP: Again a yes, in capital letters.
Q: Obviously you have promised yourself you will win the championship one day. Is there a master plan in your head about when?
SP: I am still relatively young so have a long career ahead of me and I believe that my best years are still to come. And then I want to have the right equipment to show the world what I can do in a good car.
Q: In reality you could argue that only two teams would meet your criteria: Ferrari and Mercedes…
SP: I would take either! (Laughs) But to make that really happen, that is another story. It is about being in the right place at the right time. We have seen this with Valtteri Bottas and his move to Mercedes. So what I need is that all the planets align to get that opportunity.
Q: So what can you actively do to ‘make all planets align’?
SP: To be honest, I am not so obsessed with it right now. I am trying to enjoy my moment. I am so lucky to have a place in Formula One - with one of the best teams. I have a good career, but probably what I am most lacking is the opportunity to really show what I can do. I am thankful to my team - but whatever happens in the future we will see.
Q: You have systematically fought your way back up the ladder after your sudden departure from McLaren…
SP: …and that was not easy to recover after that hit. It was massive. I was very young back then. I remember going from Woking to Silverstone and seeing the difference in factories. I was shocked. Now I can say that this team has been incredible for my career. I have developed hugely in the last few years. And thanks to McLaren in some way I am a much better driver in all aspects. I do believe that everything happens for a reason in life. That was a very good lesson.
Q: Four races so far this season, on four very different tracks, with new cars and new tyres - and you have scored every time. That sounds like the Force India car is a real find. Where are the strengths?
SP: Yes, we have a good car. But we are still learning about these new-generation cars. And I am always trying to adapt myself to different cars, different tyres, different fuel loads and different tracks. 

Q: Is it a bit scary that you are already so competitive at the start of the season? It goes against Force India’s normal pattern of becoming strong in the second half of the year…
SP: Ha, yes, when I compare it to last year I had only two points at this stage of the season - and now I have 22. But then in the next five races I was on the podium twice - and if the next five races go the same way as last year I will be pretty much over the moon. (Laughs)
Q: You have a near rookie as your team mate - and though you have brought in the majority of points, he has also contributed beautifully. From all the team mates you’ve had, how would you rate Esteban Ocon?
SP: He is a good guy. We are a comfortable P4 now because he has contributed to that. It makes a big difference if a team has two drivers who contribute to the result. I expect Esteban to continue delivering - and hopefully we two can consolidate that fourth place until Abu Dhabi. It will not be easy, as I think that Williams have a better package than us.
Q: Barcelona is traditionally ‘upgrade weekend’ for all the teams. What is new at Force India?
SP: We don’t have anything sensational on the car - no magic bullet this weekend. But I hope these parts that we are bringing will help us fix the issues that we have, which is trying to get the correlation right between wind tunnel and track. We will not have one or two colossal upgrades during this season - we will bring things that we think will help us perform better at every race.
Q: This track is the best known to all the drivers. You have done thousands of kilometres here, so you should be able to judge what you can achieve on Sunday…
SP: Yes, we want to show what we can do and score plenty of points. That will not be easy, as Barcelona traditionally was never a track that has made it easy for us.
Q: So the aim is to leave here with the team still in P4 - and you above Ricciardo?
SP: Ha, that option sounds tempting. And it would mean that we could look to a good season ahead if we get it right here on our least favourable track.

Formula1.com 
 

Spanish GP - Practice - Force India Preview

Both drivers worked hard gathering data with the VJM10’s new aero package - especially the revised floor - and like everyone else the tyre and track situation didn’t help their quest for knowledge. Perez, no lover of the hard Pirelli, suggested that it won’t be seen again this weekend, but added that he felt they had plenty of information to process as they focus on set-up directions this evening.

Sergio Perez - FP1: 1:24.188, P11; FP2: 1:22.722, P14
“The grip levels were low and it was very difficult to get the hard tyre compound to work. I suspect we will not see much of it on track for the rest of the weekend as the medium and soft compounds are much more representative of what we need for qualifying and the race. We have a lot to do to understand the data we collected today. Of course, when you are testing a lot of different things, it’s tricky to set the car up, but I think we now have a good base on which to build.”

Esteban Ocon - FP1: 1:24.324, P12; FP2: 1:22.520, P12
“It’s been a fairly routine Friday, going through our programme without any dramas. We were able to cover a lot of ground and test some development items. Now our focus goes back to the task of preparing for tomorrow’s qualifying. The conditions out there weren’t ideal today: it was very windy and the tyres are very hard, meaning it was difficult to find grip. The soft compound is the one that works best on this track and it’s going to be a challenge to work with the others. We have some work to do tonight, but I am confident we’ll be well prepared for the rest of the weekend.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal
“We had a very busy day, with a full testing programme and several new parts to evaluate between the two cars throughout the sessions. Things have gone to plan and we managed to gather all the essential data that we needed. From now on, it’s a standard race weekend: we will need to make all the right decisions overnight and put the best car on track for FP3 and qualifying. This is a track we know very well from winter testing, but the temperatures are much higher now compared to February. Understanding the performance of the tyres has been an important factor during the day so completing our long runs in the afternoon was very important. Qualifying tomorrow will be crucial because it is very hard to overtake here and your starting position is vital.”


Formula1.com 
 

Spanish GP , Force India Preview

Talking points with Vijay Mallya

Vijay Mallya: “Ahead of the European leg of the season, we can look back on the start of the year feeling pretty happy. We continued our 100% points-scoring record by adding another 14 points in Sochi to consolidate our fourth place in the championship. I’m proud of the team and how we are performing. We’re taking our chances and racing intelligently. Sergio’s remarkable consistency continued with a fourteenth straight points finish, while Esteban secured his best ever result in Formula One with a seventh place. To have scored points with both cars in every race gives me confidence for the rest of the year. We want to hold on to fourth place. Our planned development programme will continue in Barcelona where hopefully we can take another step forward with the VJM10.”

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Driver’s Eye: Sergio Perez

Sergio: “Barcelona is a track that really tests a Formula One car. There are some quick corners that feel very special, such as turns three and nine, where you can appreciate the aero performance of these 2017 cars. It’s always a difficult track for overtaking and so there is extra emphasis on qualifying well.
“When you get to Europe, you feel that the season is in full flow. It’s race five – a quarter of the way through the season – and the year is flying by really quickly. I’m very proud of the team and what we have achieved so far. To be fourth in the championship as we arrive in Barcelona shows that we’ve done a really good job in the races so far. Russia was another example of a weekend where we maximised all the opportunities.
“It’s hard to know what to expect this weekend. I think all the teams will bring new things for their cars and it’s the same for us. We have planned updates, which will hopefully give us a bit more performance.”

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Driver’s Eye: Esteban Ocon

Esteban: “I’m feeling positive after our performance in Sochi. It shows the results we can achieve when everything goes to plan because we improved the car during each session. The team did an awesome job because I felt comfortable in the car and could really push. It’s a good sign for the races to come and I feel we have lots more potential to find with the VJM10.
“Coming back to Barcelona is an opportunity to see how much we have improved the car since winter testing. It’s a track that shows your strengths and weaknesses because there is nowhere to hide. It’s all about aero performance and having confidence.
“I’m quite pleased to be back in Europe. It’s closer to home and it just feels a bit more familiar because I’ve raced at Barcelona so many times when I was younger. I really enjoy the flow of the lap and there are corners, such as one and two, where you can’t afford to make a mistake because it hurts your speed all the way through turn three. The final sector is also very technical and you need to be very precise with how you position the car to ensure you don’t lose any time.”

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Tech Briefing

Sahara Force India's Technical Director, Andrew Green, shares his views about the Circuit de Catalunya and its challenges.
The Circuit de Catalunya is a track we know very well because of pre-season testing, but it’s very interesting to see the development in the car that took place since we were last here. Mid-May is also very different from February: the increased temperatures make it a very different track from the one we tackled back then. Compared to Russia, it’s a much harder test for the tyres and we expect wear and degradation to be much higher. It is one of the reasons we are using the three hardest compounds in the range – soft, medium and hard. As a circuit, it is a challenge from turn one to the final corner. Driver, car and tyres do not get much rest, although it is fairly easy on the brakes. You have medium- and high-speed corners making up most of the first two sectors, while the final one is mostly low-speed, meaning you have to find the right compromises when setting the car up. Overtaking is very difficult, so qualifying position is crucial: the Saturday afternoon session will be a very interesting fight.
Key Points:

• Combination of low, medium and high-speed corners making it an all-around test for the car
• High deg means we will see the harder compounds make an appearance
• Many teams bringing upgrades for the start of the European season so watch out for surprises

ForceIndiaf1.com 
 

Force India performing 'big miracles' - Perez

Sergio Perez believes Force India is pulling "big miracles" to continue scoring points given its pace deficit to its main Formula 1 rivals.

Both Perez and team-mate Esteban Ocon have finished in the points at all four grands prix so far in 2017.

That means Force India is fourth in the constructors' championship, 13 points clear of Williams, despite Perez being adamant the team's actual pace is far from fourth-best.

"Looking where we are, we shouldn't have finished there with pure pace," he said of his sixth place in Russia, one spot ahead of Ocon.

"We were there again to take the opportunity from Red Bull and Williams, they had issues.

"The team once again did a tremendous job, so I'm very happy and satisfied with the performance.

"At the moment, we're really far [away].

"In pure pace, we shouldn't be there.

"We've been doing big miracles to be where we are.

"But I think if we bring a lot of pace to the car we can definitely give them a big challenge."

The team's upgrade package for the Spanish Grand Prix will include a new floor, aimed at solving its weakness in slow- and medium-speed corners.

Ocon called his Sochi weekend "fantastic" after securing his first F1 finish so far.
"It feels great," he said. "A strong performance from the team, I'm very happy with what we have achieved.

"It was a very smooth weekend, everything went as planned.

"We were improving all the time, which is great, we never went backwards in one session so that's fantastic before coming to Barcelona with some upgrades.

"It makes everyone hope for great things."

Autosport.com 
 

Russian GP - Race - Force India Quotes

All smiles at Force India as they maintained their perfect 2017 record of getting both cars in the points at every race, as Perez took an impressive sixth, with Ocon an equally respectable – and career-best – seventh.

Sergio Perez, 6th
“Sixth place feels very satisfying and with Esteban in seventh it has been a really positive day for the team. We’ve consolidated our fourth place in the championship and I’m seventh in the drivers’ championship – which is a tremendous effort from the first four races. The race today was not especially exciting for me because I was always on my own in clean air – chasing the cars ahead and pulling away from the cars behind. So there were no on-track battles and I could simply focus on managing my race and bringing home the points. The team did a great job with the strategy – waiting until the right moment to pit and not coming in too soon. Once again, we took all the opportunities that were on the table and we can feel very happy tonight.”

Esteban Ocon, 7th
“It feels great to finish in seventh after such a strong performance from the whole team. I am very happy with what we achieved this weekend: we improved in every session and never went backwards. From the mechanics to the engineers, everyone did a great job and we can be proud. I feel there is nothing more we could have extracted from the car: the only negative from the race was a poor start, but I managed to get those positions back before the first lap was over, so it was all good in the end. Finishing in the points in all of the first four races is a great way to start the season and the best I could have hoped for. We are in fourth position going into Barcelona, where we expect some upgrades to be on our car, so we can be confident about the future.”

Robert Fernley, deputy team principal
“Congratulations to the whole team on another double points finish. The 14 points scored strengthen our fourth place in the championship and are a nice reward for a weekend where we maximised all our opportunities. Esteban achieved his best ever result in Formula One and continues his 100% points-scoring record with us. Sergio’s sixth place means he has now finished in the points in fourteen consecutive races and that’s a wonderful achievement. The one-stop strategy was clearly the way to go today and we made all the correct calls from the pit wall. All in all it’s been a very encouraging weekend: the car has worked well; we’ve made good progress with our qualifying speed and scored points once again with both cars on Sunday.”

Formula1.com 
 

Russian GP - Qualifying - Force India Quotes

They weren’t entirely satisfied, but having got both cars into Q3 for the first time this season, Force India had little to complain about. Ocon in particular was made up with his inaugural appearance in the top-ten shootout.

Sergio Perez -9th, 1:35.337
“It was not an ideal qualifying session for me, but in the end we got a good result and we can be pleased to be in Q3. I didn’t get the perfect lap; I feel I have left something on the table and when the margins are so close a tenth of a second would have put us a couple of places further ahead. It was not easy to get the tyres in the right operating window and to keep them working for the whole lap. Also, the track conditions changed a lot from yesterday and I think this affected everyone. The key for tomorrow’s race will be having a good start and a clean run into turn two: it’s a tricky one and in the past there has been plenty of action there at the start. I am optimistic for the race and I think we can aim to make up some positions from where we start.”

Esteban Ocon - 10th, 1:35.430
“It’s the first Q3 appearance of my career and I’m pretty happy with our performance today. The team has done an awesome job to improve the car during each session and I felt very comfortable by the time we started qualifying. I made a few small mistakes on my Q3 lap so I’m a little bit frustrated because there was the opportunity to be even higher up the grid. If I can make a clean start in the race, there is all to play for tomorrow. It’s important that I make the most of my best qualifying position in Formula One to score some more points.”

Robert Fernley, deputy team principal
“The top ten was our target today and it’s encouraging to see both Force Indias make Q3 for the first time this year. The team has done an excellent job over the last few days to extract more and more performance from the car and today’s results show the progress we have made. The Q3 laps of both drivers were clean and tidy, but they both felt there was a bit more speed in the car and that they had the potential to be even higher up the grid. Even so, locking out the fifth row of the grid represents our best qualifying performance of the year and gives us every chance to score solid points tomorrow.”

Formula1.com