Japanese GP - Qualifying - Force India Quotes

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

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

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

Formula1.com 
 

Japanese GP - Friday Practice - ForceIndia quotes

Force India

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

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

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

Formula1.com 
 

Force India confirm Perez for 2016

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

Formula1.com 

Japanese GP - Preview - Force India Quotes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Formula1.com

Nico Hulkenberg apologises to Felipe Massa for Singapore rash

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Source : Autosport.com 
 

Hulkenberg questions stewards' actions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Autosport.com 
 

SingaporeGP - Race - Force India Quotes

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

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

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

Formula1.com