Abu Dhabi: The two Sahara Force India drivers score points
Sahara Force India concluded 2014 on a high note, with points scored by both its drivers, Nico Hülkenberg and Sergio Perez. They finished closely together in 6th and 7th places. This sets them up well for 2015, where both drivers will still be part of the Silverstone team.
For Nico Hülkenberg, the race rewarded the significant work undertaken since Friday, when the car did not suit his taste: « I am very happy with this result. After struggling with the car on Friday and in qualifying, I think we can be proud of our race today and our performance is a good sign for next year. The car performed at its best potential. I had a good balance and the confidence to really attack. There were only a few laps after the pit stops where I had to manage the tires, but otherwise, I was able to go full throttle the entire time. The long final stint on super-softs was bold, but it turned out to be a great strategy by the team, which worked very well. »
This allows him to conclude his season with his best result in the Drivers’ Championship since the beginning of his F1 career. Indeed, by finishing 9th, he does better than his 10th place in 2013 and his 11th in 2012. We will see if 2015 will finally allow him to step onto his first podium.
As for Sergio Perez, he returns to the same level as in 2012, when he finished 10th in the championship. However, he believes he could have done even better during his race in Abu Dhabi, where his strategy was not optimal: « I think we could have finished higher today but we probably stopped too late during the last pit stop. If we had switched to the super softs a bit earlier, maybe we could have been closer to Button at the end of the race. »
In the end, Sahara Force India scored the highest number of points in a single season in its history, which makes its owner, Vijay Mallya, proud: “We fought with world champions and beat them without any difficulty. We finished with both our cars ahead of Ferraris and a Red Bull. Nico’s penalty was harsh and surely cost him 5th place, which would have been well deserved. Even though tonight’s result is not enough to regain 5th place in the Constructors’ Championship, we can be proud of our season. We scored the highest number of points in the team’s history, 155 points, and finished ten times with both cars in the points.”
