Report: The magic of Monaco almost worked for Force India

This year in Monaco, the conditions were ideal, with bright sunshine and 25°C in the shade. This is in stark contrast to last year. A year ago, Force India was on the verge of achieving a feat in wet conditions. This year, the Indian team was once again close to securing that long-awaited first point. The expectations did not come from Adrian Sutil but from Giancarlo Fisichella.

The Italian finishes 9th while the German only comes 14th due to tire issues and strategy, which didn’t fail the former Renault driver. Force India can be proud of itself and thus demonstrates that it knows how to rise to the occasion even in good conditions.

Adrian Sutil – 14th:

We had a one-stop strategy, which would have been fine, but we used the super-soft tires from the start, and graining appeared very quickly. I went through the pits, losing a lot of time. From that moment, it was difficult. In the end, I did a few fast laps with a good pace, so there are positive aspects, and we can be happy about those.

Giancarlo Fisichella – 9th:

« Ninth position is an excellent result for the team. The pace was very good and consistent, and I felt like my driving was good, taking care of the tires. It was also necessary to do some fast laps at the same time. I lost a position at the start, and maybe that’s what cost me the point in the end, but we have to be happy today. It’s a big step forward; yesterday both cars were in Q2. We need to keep moving forward and be present all the time. »

Vijay Mallya – President and Team Principal:

« It was a very encouraging weekend for everyone. We had both our cars in Q2 and we finished the race just outside the points. We increased our performance level this weekend. We know we still have updates in reserve, which is a great motivator. I would like to say thank you to both drivers, the entire team on track, and at the factory. We must try to maintain this momentum. If we continue on this path, I am certain of our future success. »