Nico Hulkenberg

Sahara Force India ended its season with a strong showing and 16 points as Sergio Perez raced to fifth place ahead of Nico Hulkenberg in seventh at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

P5 Sergio Perez VJM08-02
Strategy: Used SuperSofts (6 laps) – New Softs (21 laps) – New Softs (28 laps):
“It feels great to end the season with a strong performance and I’m very satisfied with how everything has gone this weekend – both in qualifying and the race. We pushed hard to try and beat Vettel today, but he had too much pace on the supersofts and it wasn’t possible to hold him back. The rest of the race was straightforward for me, with no big dramas, because I was on my own looking after the tyres. When I was running fourth I was pushing very hard to stay within Vettel’s pit window, which took a lot from my tyres and meant that Ricciardo was able to get close to me at the end of the race. Fortunately I had enough left to hold him off. I think we got the maximum that was available to us and we can be proud of our performance. Looking back on the whole season it’s been my best year in Formula One and the most successful year for the team. There is a lot of potential for next season and we will be aiming even higher.”

P7 Nico Hulkenberg VJM08-03
Strategy: Used SuperSofts (7 laps) – New Softs (17 laps) – New Softs (31 laps):
“The race was a bit of a struggle at times, and I had a hard job on my hands. The start was pretty good – everyone went to the inside so I stuck to the outside. It was a brave move and I was able to make up a few places. However, I had a lot of understeer and it was difficult to get the car to turn in, especially at a track with so many tight corners, so I suffered in the first two stints. The final part of the race was a bit better and I was able to get into a rhythm, which was important to keep our position. It was a tough race so it was a really good result to come home with seventh place. It’s been a good season for the team and we will be aiming to build on it over the winter months. From a personal point of view, it hasn’t been one of my best years but it gives me an opportunity to learn from what happened and come back stronger. I am already looking forward to 2016 and working hard to make sure we are competitive from the first race of the season”

Otmar Szafnauer, Chief Operating Officer:
“We end the season with a strong result and 16 world championship points – the most we’ve scored at any race this season. The strong result is the ideal way to conclude the most successful season in the team’s history. The car has been working very well here and the team has done a fantastic job to deliver our most competitive performance of the year in terms of outright pace. Today’s result shows just how much progress we have made this season and gives me confidence ahead of 2016. The second part of the season is testament to the hard work of everyone in the team and highlights the upward direction the team has followed in the last few years. We will celebrate this year’s results, but we know we cannot rest on our laurels: we’re already at work on our 2016 cars to pick up where we left off tonight and be competitive from the start of next year’s championship.”

Sergio Perez

Sergio Perez

Sahara Force India shone under the lights of Yas Marina as Sergio Perez qualified in a season-best fourth place ahead of team mate Nico Hulkenberg in seventh for tomorrow’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

P4 Sergio Perez VJM08-02
Q1: 1:41.983 Q2: 1:41.560 Q3: 1:41.184:
“Fourth place on the grid is a great result for us and I’m very pleased with our strong performance all the way through qualifying. We’ve made some good decisions this weekend with the changes we have made to the car and it’s taken us in a very positive direction. I think the analysis we carried out after the weekend in Sao Paulo has really paid off and we’ve learned a huge amount. All of my laps this evening were very clean and tidy, and we managed to get the maximum from the car. The challenge tomorrow will be keeping some very quick cars behind me, but I also think we have a good chance to make up some positions at the start. I have the confidence in the car to really push and there is definitely the potential to come away with a great result this weekend. In many ways it’s a shame that tomorrow is the final race of the season because the car is working very well at the moment and I’m enjoying the racing so much.”

P7 Nico Hülkenberg VJM08-03
Q1: 1:41.996 Q2: 1:41.925 Q3: 1:41.686:
“It was a good qualifying session for the team, although I feel I could have been higher up the grid. I was pretty happy with my laps, especially the one in Q3, so to find myself in seventh actually feels a little bit disappointing. We need to look at the data and figure out where we lost time and what we can do to recover it. Looking ahead to the race, we’ve been working hard to improve our race pace and hopefully the changes we have made will pay off tomorrow. The car is quick on the straights and the balance has felt good from the start of the weekend. Starting from the fourth row, we have every opportunity to score a good result tomorrow.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Chief Operating Officer:
“We’ve looked competitive in every session leading up to qualifying, so I think tonight’s strong showing is a fair reflection of our performance level at this circuit. Both Checo and Nico did a great job this evening with clean laps in all the sessions to secure fourth and seventh on the grid. It gives us a good opportunity to end the season with an equally strong race result, especially as we can race relatively free from pressure having already secured fifth place in the championship. The big question tomorrow is how our race pace will compare to our competitors because we saw on Friday that there are very small margins between all the teams. Whatever happens we will fight hard to sign off 2015 with a good helping of points.”

Nico Hulkenberg

Nico Hulkenberg

Sahara Force India secured fifth place in the championship today as Nico Hulkenberg raced to sixth place in the Brazilian Grand Prix ahead of Sergio Perez in P13.

P6 Nico Hulkenberg VJM08-03
Strategy: Used Softs (9 laps) – New Mediums (26 laps) – New Mediums (35 laps):
“I’m very happy with sixth place and with scoring the points that helped the team secure fifth place in the championship, which is great news. It’s the best result in our history and shows the progress we have made over the years. This fifth place is a result of all the hard work from everybody in the team and we should feel very proud of what we have achieved together. The race today was fun, although I didn’t have the best start and got some wheel spin, which dropped me behind Bottas and Kvyat. Fortunately I was able to get one of those places back with an aggressive early pit stop, but that forced me to do two very long stints on the medium tyres, which was the main challenge of the day. We made it work, though, managing the tyres and delivering the two-stop strategy. I’m now looking forward to Abu Dhabi and ending the season on another high note.”

P13 Sergio Perez VJM08-02
Strategy: New Softs (10 laps) – New Mediums (23 laps) – New Mediums (18 laps) – Used Softs (19 laps):
“It hasn’t been the best of weekends for me. I have struggled to feel comfortable with the car from the start and I feel I didn’t go in the right direction with the set-up yesterday. Today was more or less the same so we will need to go back and analyse all the data from the weekend to address the issues before we arrive in Abu Dhabi. Today’s result, however, should take nothing away from what has been a great championship so far. The team has now finished fifth, so there are a lot of positives to celebrate. I am proud of what we achieved together this season and I am looking forward to aiming even higher in the future.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal:
“Everybody in the team is delighted that we have secured fifth place in the championship with a race to spare. It’s the reward for all the hard work put in by everyone back at the factory in Silverstone, at the wind tunnel, and here at the track. We have been through a lot this year, but we never let our target out of our sight and today we can celebrate. The race itself leaves us with mixed feelings as we wanted to seal this result with a double points finish. Nico drove very well, making a two-stop strategy work and withstanding a lot of pressure in the closing stages when Kvyat was behind him. Unfortunately Checo missed out on the top ten despite fighting hard this afternoon, but he didn’t feel completely comfortable with the car all weekend. We now head to Abu Dhabi to close off this record-breaking season on a high and secure top ten positions in the drivers’ championship for both Nico and Checo.”

Sergio Perez

Sergio Perez

Qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix saw Nico Hulkenberg set the sixth fastest time of the afternoon with team mate Sergio Perez ending the day in P13.

P6 Nico Hülkenberg VJM08-03
Q1: 1:12.595 Q2: 1:12.485 Q3: 1:12.265:
“I’m very happy with the qualifying result. I always enjoy driving here because I love the track, the country and the atmosphere that surrounds this event. The car felt great today and I was really happy with each of my laps in all the sessions. We made some important changes to the car last night and found a positive direction, which really paid off this morning because I was much happier with the feel of the car. With the penalty for Valtteri (Bottas), it means I will start from fifth place with just the Mercedes and Ferraris ahead of me, so that’s a fantastic effort by the team. At the very least we want to hold position in the race and bring home the result because there are some quick cars behind us who will try and make things difficult. I’m feeling confident for tomorrow and looking forward to a fun race.”

P13 Sergio Perez VJM08-02
Q1: 1:13.140 Q2: 1:13.147
“I think we had a clear opportunity to go through to Q3, so I am quite disappointed about today’s result. I made a mistake on my final lap in Q2, braking too late into turn one and locking up, and that cost me the chance to be in the top ten. It’s a very short lap and, when you make a mistake, it’s difficult to recover from it. All weekend I haven’t felt completely comfortable with the car: I have taken a different direction with the set-up compared to Nico and I haven’t been able to find my rhythm around here. It’s not an ideal situation, but I’m still looking to the rest of the weekend with optimism. I am starting eleventh, but the races in Brazil can often be very eventful and a lot can still happen. I think we can still finish in the points and come home with a good result.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal:
“Overall we feel pretty satisfied with our performance today. Nico will line up in fifth place and Sergio is expected to start from eleventh, so we are ideally placed to score well and secure fifth place in the championship. Nico found the sweet spot this morning with some set-up changes overnight, but Sergio has not been so comfortable and a small error cost him a place in Q3. Nonetheless, the car has strong race pace and I’m confident both drivers can end the weekend on a high note. Of course, the racing this weekend has been overshadowed by the tragic events in Paris and the thoughts of everyone in the team are with those who have been affected.”

Nico Hulkenberg

Sergio Perez

Sahara Force India scored 10 points with Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez racing to seventh and eighth places.

P7 Nico Hulkenberg VJM08-03
Strategy: Used Softs (9 laps) – New Mediums (43 laps) – New Mediums (19 laps):
“It was a good race, although I was quite lonely for most of it. We couldn’t have gotten any more from it so I feel very happy with the result. The Safety Car ended up playing into my hands, which is the little bit of luck you always need to get a good result, but our pace was strong and we were able to hold our own. I am really happy about this performance and finally getting back in the points after a bit of a difficult period for me. It was a very clean race from my part, with no mistakes and no problems. It took a lot of management as the temperatures were high and we had to look after the brakes as well, so from that perspective it was a very demanding race. The atmosphere today was one of the best I have ever experienced and the drivers’ parade was something very special. The event was great and the fans have been so welcoming – I feel I have been adopted as a Mexican now! Today’s result is important for our championship battle so it’s a great day for everyone in the team.”

P8 Sergio Perez VJM08-02
Strategy: Used Softs (18 laps) – New Mediums (53 laps):
“What a week this has been here in Mexico! The atmosphere has been amazing and there were so many special moments. The race today was probably one of the most difficult of my career because I was very unlucky with the timing of the safety car, which really didn’t help my one-stop strategy. We chose not to pit when it came out because we thought there was a chance to jump Nico (Hulkenberg) and Felipe (Massa), but in reality that didn’t happen. Then the team told me that the cars behind had all pitted and fitted new tyres, so I was a bit worried because I knew the final fifteen laps would be very difficult. To stay ahead of them and finish in eighth place is probably one of my best performances in Formula One and I’m very happy I could score points in front of my home crowd. I am very lucky to have this huge support from my country and I will remember this weekend forever. I think everybody has enjoyed the energy of the crowd and this must surely be one of the most popular races on the calendar now.”

Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director:
“As a team I think we performed extremely well today. Up until the safety car we had worked hard to get Checo and Nico in a competitive position, and we made the right decisions when the safety car appeared. Nico was on course for a two-stop strategy so the safety car played nicely into his hands, but Checo was unlucky as it compromised his one-stop race plan. Even so, he made the one-stop strategy work and did a fantastic job of protecting the tyres and holding on to a well-deserved eighth place. It was important to score well with both cars today and it means we’ve extended our advantage over the teams behind us to strengthen our hold on fifth place. I’m proud of the strong results we are securing in this final part of the season and look forward to more of the same in Brazil and Abu Dhabi.”

Sergio Perez

Sahara Force India delivered a strong qualifying performance today with Sergio Perez lining up in ninth place just ahead of team mate Nico Hulkenberg for tomorrow’s Mexican Grand Prix.

P9 Sergio Perez VJM08-02
Q1: 1:20.966 Q2: 1:20.669 Q3: 1:20.716:
“I felt very privileged to be driving at home today and to feel so much support from the fans. They have given me lots of energy and I’m extremely motivated to give them something to celebrate this weekend – that’s the best way to repay them. I think we did a good job today and we are in a competitive position for the race. We were aiming to be the last car on track during Q3 to try and make the most of the track evolution, but in the end it didn’t really make a huge difference. I think eighth was possible, especially when you look at the small gap to Max (Verstappen). For tomorrow expectations will be high, I know that, but it’s a very positive pressure and I just need to say focused, work through my usual routine and treat tomorrow as a normal race. The car is working well, we’ve done our homework, and I want to move forward in the race.”

P10 Nico Hülkenberg VJM08-03
Q1: 1:21.315 Q2: 1:20.935 Q3: 1:20.788:
“I think we pretty much got everything we could out of this session. I haven’t felt 100 per cent confident with the car, but in those conditions the final lap I did was really good. Our one-lap pace is strong enough to make it into Q3, but I’m feeling better about our long run pace and confident for tomorrow. The weather could play a part: there is a threat of rain, which could mix up the field and make the race really interesting. It’s a new track so we don’t have as much information compared to other places, which leaves a few question marks going into the race, but hopefully there will be a happy ending for us. It would be a good reward for the fans, as you can feel all the love and attention that we are getting from this amazing crowd. I may not be the home hero here, but I am still getting a lot of support which is an extra boost.”

Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director:
“I feel satisfied with our performance today. As we predicted, the grid was very tight with just four tenths separating the fourth-placed car and Nico in tenth. Both Checo and Nico drove very well today and we are well-placed to deliver a strong performance in the race. There are some question marks over what the weather will do tomorrow, and given the fresh tarmac that could make for some tricky conditions. Whatever the weather, we’ve shown recently that we can react quickly and make the right calls when it matters. Once again, I want to pay tribute to the enthusiasm of the crowd and the energy they have given the entire team. We are all determined to reward them with a fantastic race tomorrow.”

Nico Hulkenberg

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