Saturday: Pérez Aims for Podium, Hülkenberg Optimistic at Force India
The qualifying session was a double-edged sword for the Indian team. Sergio Pérez delivered his best performance of the year while Nico Hülkenberg failed in Q2 after a costly mistake.
Sergio Pérez (#11) – 3rd and 5th [4th on the grid]
The Mexican is very happy with his position on the starting grid: « It was really a great qualifying session. I think we could have been even closer to the front, but I couldn’t get my brakes up to temperature enough on the installation lap, so I didn’t improve. »
He is very ambitious for the race: « We are already thinking about tomorrow, and I believe our goal is clearly the podium. We are in the best possible situation to fight at the front, and I will make the most of it. »
Nico Hülkenberg (No. 27) – 8th and 12th [11th on the grid]
The German’s last lap in Q2 wasn’t extraordinary: « I made a mistake in turn 11 and went wide on the kerb, and that completely destroyed my lap. That was the difference between elimination and Q3. »
But he does not give up and remains confident in his race pace: « I am convinced that it is possible to achieve a good result tomorrow and I feel optimistic. On Friday, we showed that we have a good pace on the long runs and I have two sets of soft tires left for the race. A good strategy for tomorrow will be important to help me climb back up, and with cooler conditions, the tires should suffer less than in Malaysia. »
