Sahara Force India finishes just outside the points in China
After a missed qualification, Sahara Force India still hoped to score points. The strategy almost worked for Sergio Perez but he had to settle for 11th place. Nico Hülkenberg retired early in the race due to an engine problem.
Starting 15th and 16th on the grid, Sergio Perez and Nico Hülkenberg knew their race would be complicated. However, in the first few laps, the German once again managed to stand out as he climbed to 12th position. But his mechanics failed him by the 11th lap, leaving him wanting more: « It’s disappointing to finish the race so early, especially since we had good reliability until now. It would have been interesting to see how the race would have unfolded because I made great progress in the first lap when I passed several cars on the outside before battling with Kvyat, which placed me 12th. We had the pace to fight with the Toro Rossos and Saubers. So, it’s positive to see that we are becoming more competitive. »
All the team’s hopes then rested on Sergio Perez. The Mexican quickly decided to change strategy, being the only one to opt for three stops. But it wasn’t enough to finish in the points, especially with the safety car coming out three laps from the end: « We pushed very hard today but it wasn’t enough to score points. We analyzed all the options for the strategy and quickly decided to go for three stops, which was the right decision. I was able to push throughout the race with an aggressive strategy and fight with the cars in front of me. In the latter part of the race, I was catching up to Ericsson but he was too far ahead to catch. »
The men from Silverstone therefore leave China with the satisfaction of seeing that in the race they are not so far from their direct rivals but with the disappointment of not being rewarded in terms of points.
