Official: Adrian Sutil completes Force India’s line-up

We already knew one of the two main drivers of Force India: it was Paul Di Resta. The name of the second driver was quite mysterious as the Force India team conducted its winter tests with Jules Bianchi before having Adrian Sutil test the car.

After several weeks of hesitation, the experience of the German driver prevailed. Sutil, who was excluded from the F1 grid last season, returns to a team he knows well since he was with Force India from 2008 to 2011 (and was even there before, when the team was bought by Spyker before being sold to Vijay Mallya). The German, who will begin his 6th F1 season this year at the age of 30, will conduct tests for Force India on Friday and Saturday.

Vijay Mallya, owner of Force India, commented on the decision to retain Adrian Sutil: « The decision regarding our driver lineup was not easy, and we gave it considerable thought over the last few months. It was a close call, but we ultimately felt that Adrian Sutil’s experience and his historical ties with the team gave him the edge and would give us the best possible chance of achieving our ambitions for the upcoming season.

If he can regain the exceptional form he showed in the second half of the 2011 season, I am confident that we can move forward from where we left off at the end of 2012. Regarding Jules Bianchi, he impressed us enormously with his speed and work, and I hope that we can continue to work with him this year to help him become a future Grand Prix driver.

For his part, Adrian Sutil is thrilled about this return to Formula 1: « I am delighted to be back in Formula 1, especially with a team I know well. I am very happy and would like to thank Sahara Force India for giving me this second chance. Having been out of the sport, I am even more determined than before. Things went well in Barcelona during the tests last week; it felt like I had never been away… Driving the car was very natural for me and I was able to show that I was on pace quickly and reach the car’s limits. Now, I am focusing on the last week of testing, working with the team in the simulator to give my best in Melbourne. »

Jules Bianchi had been officially ruled out of a seat at Force India yesterday after the confirmation from Nicolas Todt, his manager. Rumors therefore easily gave way to an official announcement of Adrian Sutil soon.

Two weeks before the start of the 2013 Formula 1 season, the lineup is officially complete. However, many doubts are being raised about Razia’s appointment at Marussia.