Assessment: Force India progresses but slowly

Despite 15th and 16th places for Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil, Force India did not expect better results and is rather satisfied with them. The drivers suffered from the heat but held on until the checkered flag. The updates with a new aerodynamic package seem to place the team in the middle of the grid.

The next Grand Prix in Spain will feature new improvements to possibly reach Q2 in qualifying and get even closer to the top 10. Force India is now the last team in the championship yet to score any points.

Adrian Sutil – 16th:

« It was a long race, very tough with very high temperatures. Everything was on the edge of being bearable, both the car and myself. In the end, it was a very consistent race. At the start, I lost three positions on the first lap because of Nakajima. This friction is very frustrating, but from that point on, it was a very good race with good pit stops. We cross the checkered flag again, a record for the team this year. The new upgrades place us in the middle of the grid. We can now look forward to Barcelona where new updates are coming. »

Giancarlo Fisichella – 15th:

« It was a really tough race today. We experienced the hottest temperatures since the start of the season. Still, I think my first part of the race was quite good because I was keeping up with Webber, Kovalainen, and Piquet. In the last lap, Massa overtook me with slight contact. I think 15th place is not so bad. We finished the race and I think we can be satisfied with the overall performance this weekend. »

Vijay Mallya – Chairman and Team Principal:

The team made very promising progress over the weekend. We launched a new aerodynamic package that moved us up in midfield. Both drivers once again had very solid races, which shows that we have a good foundation for future updates. We can now look forward to Spain and the start of the European season to continue at this level of performance.