Sunday: At Force India, Hülkenberg positive, Pérez unlucky
Force India scores 9 valuable points after an eventful race. Nico Hülkenberg delivers a solid race and Sergio Pérez manages to finish in the points after a series of twists and turns.
Nico Hülkenberg (No. 27) – 6th (after Ricciardo’s disqualification)
The German driver, who was at the finish line in Melbourne for the first time, gives a rather positive assessment: Finishing seventh is a good way to start the season. It’s important to score points right from the beginning. I had a good start which allowed me to secure a good position on track for the first two stints during which I was fourth. The only real problem I had was graining on the front-left which never really improved, and this compromised my first two stints.
He adds, however, a small caveat: « It’s a shame to have lost two places during my second stop [against Button and Alonso] it seems some of the other cars have a better pace than us at the moment. »
Sergio Pérez (#11) – 10th (after Ricciardo’s disqualification)
The Mexican didn’t have much luck in his first race under his new colors: « My race became very difficult from the first lap when I was hit by Gutierrez’s Sauber at turn 3. For this reason, I suffered a puncture that forced me to return to the pit at a slow pace, which relegated me to the back of the pack. Then, I just tried to maintain a consistent pace with the medium tires and was quite happy to recover a few places during the safety car period. It was positive to finish the race. »
