Nico Hulkenberg

Sahara Force India scored ten points in the US Grand Prix with Sergio Perez finishing the race in a strong fifth place. Team mate Nico Hulkenberg was out of luck as he retired on lap 35 after contact with Daniel Ricciardo.

P5 Sergio Perez VJM08-02
Strategy: New Inters (19 laps) – New Softs (8 laps) – New Mediums (29 laps):
“We are happy to come away with fifth place and ten points from a weekend with such difficult weather conditions. The track was very damp to begin with and I was lacking pace on the intermediates – sliding around with a lot of degradation. Then, when we switched to the softs and eventually the mediums, it was not easy to get the temperature in the tyres and I struggled for grip with each restart. There was so much happening in the race and you really had to concentrate because it was very easy to make a mistake. In the final few laps I was getting close to Max (Verstappen) who was struggling on the soft tyres, but there was not enough time to catch him. Overall I’m very happy for the team because we’ve done a really good job this weekend. The recent results give us real momentum as we head to my home race in Mexico, where I’m determined to give my fans something more to celebrate.”

DNF Nico Hulkenberg VJM08-03
Strategy: New Inters (19 laps) – New Softs (8 laps) – New Mediums (9 laps – retired):
“It’s a huge frustration to be out of the race when things were looking so promising. Until the accident, it had been a very interesting race and it must have been a very entertaining one for the fans as well. I struggled at first on the intermediate tyres, but as soon as I switched to slicks I started making good progress. We were looking really good and I wanted to get past Daniel (Ricciardo) as I was faster than him and he was holding me up, so I tried to make a move. Unfortunately that didn’t work and it was the end of my race. When I got back to the garage the team told me that there was an issue with the front wing – from contact earlier in the race – and it broke just when I was trying to make the move on Daniel. It’s a shame as we could have scored a lot of points today. These last two races haven’t been the best for me, but that’s how racing goes sometimes. At least I can get back in the car in just a few days and get the disappointment out of the system, rather than having to wait for a long time. I look forward to the race in Mexico and it should be a really exciting week in a cool country that is always very welcoming to us.”

Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director:
“Formula One delivered a fantastic spectacle today, which is just what the fans deserved after suffering through such rainy weather for most of the weekend. The racing was sensational and both Force Indias were up at the front and looking very competitive. Sergio delivered another very mature performance – staying out of trouble and letting the race come to him. Those ten points help to strengthen our hold on fifth place in the standings with just three races to go. Nico was unlucky to retire after the contact with Daniel (Ricciardo) and it’s certainly a missed opportunity because he was showing excellent pace. We will make sure he’s ready to bounce back next week in Mexico, which is going to be a hugely important and busy week for everyone in the team.”

Sergio Perez

Nico Hulkenberg

The rain continued to fall at the Circuit of the Americas during Sunday morning’s qualifying session. Times from Q2 were used to determine the grid with Sergio Perez sixth fastest and Nico Hulkenberg in seventh. With a grid penalty for Sebastian Vettel, both Sahara drivers are expected to move up a position on the grid.

P6 Sergio Perez VJM08-02
Q1: 1:59.284
Q2: 1:59.210
Q3: Cancelled
“I’m very satisfied with my performance this morning, especially because in these conditions things can easily go wrong. Qualifying well in the rain is often a case of being out on a flying lap at the right moment, when the conditions are ideal: every single lap counts, because the next time around the rain could be worse and your chance is gone. It’s important to stay focused and I think we did a fantastic job to get both the cars up on the third row. I believe the call to cancel Q3 was the right one as the track conditions were getting much worse: it is very hard for the FIA and Charlie (Whiting) to take this decision, but the safety of drivers and marshals has to be their priority. I am under no illusion that the race will be easy: there will be a lot of pressure and tension. I hope we will be able to race: the fans have been amazing and they really deserve a great show.”

P7 Nico Hülkenberg VJM08-03
Q1: 1:58.325
Q2: 1:59.333
Q3: Cancelled
“It was a challenging session, but it was also exciting and good fun. It looks like I will be starting from sixth place, but it could have been even better because I lost my best lap in Q2 with aquaplaning and a spin. Visibility was very poor and the rain got very heavy towards the end of Q2 so it was certainly the right decision to cancel Q3. We’ve looked competitive in the wet conditions so that’s a good sign for the race, which looks likely to be wet.”

Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director:
“Thankfully the intensity of the rain had eased slightly this morning allowing most of the qualifying hour to take place. Conditions were extremely difficult with a high risk of aquaplaning, but both Sergio and Nico performed very well to secure their places in Q2. The decision not to run Q3 was sensible as there was so much standing water on the circuit and the intensity of the rain had increased. With a penalty for another car we expect Sergio to start from fifth place and Nico from sixth. It’s likely to be a wet race this afternoon so the task now is to convert our strong pace into a good result.”

Sergio Perez