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(Sahara Force India Formula One Team)
The Sahara Force India Formula One Team head to the Bahrain
Night race this weekend having endured a difficult start to the 2015 season.
The Silverstone based outfit are currently in 7th
place in the Constructors championship on seven point’s just one point ahead of
the Lotus F1 Team.
Last time out in China, Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg
started the race from 15th and 16th place respectively.
In the Grand Prix however the team were left disappointed as Perez finished the
race in 12th place while Nico Hulkenberg was forced to retire from
the race with technical issue.
Sahara Force India Formula One Team Principal Dr Vijay
Mallya stated:
‘As we get to the end of this first part of the season, it’s a good
moment to reflect on the start of our campaign and the next steps ahead. I
think it is fair to say that we are not yet where we want to be, but we are
conscious of the effort everyone in the team is making to push us up the order.
Work continues as we keep introducing upgrades ahead of a significant package
coming during the European season.
"The memories of last year's
Bahrain Grand Prix are still fresh in our minds: it was a great emotion to see
our team on the podium. Both Sergio and Nico raced admirably there and
hopefully this will spur them on to perform some magic once more.
Traditionally, Bahrain is a circuit that suits our car, although year-to-year
comparisons are not the most reliable way to predict form in Formula One.
"As we approach this last flyaway
race in this first part of the season, we expect to continue closing the gap
with the teams ahead of us. In terms of both single lap and race pace, we have
been getting more performance into our car and we hope this trend will continue
this week.”
Sergio ‘Checco’ Perez commented
on the upcoming race saying:
‘Returning to Bahrain brings back a lot of good memories. Last year's
race had all you can ask from it: a lot of action, a great performance and of
course finishing on the podium. It's a good track for me; I won there in GP2
and generally always had good races so I feel positive about going there.
"The track itself is a stop-and-go
circuit with long straights, sharp braking zones followed by rapid
acceleration: rear tyre degradation is quite high and I expect it to be one of
the themes of this race. Grip is always a challenge with all the dust blowing
on the track, and the surface evolves a lot during the weekend and the race
itself. There are two DRS zones and a few good overtaking opportunities,
especially in the first sector: this should make for some good racing.
"The last race in China was
interesting for us, as we were able to be much more involved in battles against
the other teams. As we keep learning about our car and its set-up, we are
closing the gap to our rivals, which is really encouraging. There is still a
long way to go but everyone is working hard for it and hopefully we will soon
be able to mount a more consistent challenge for regular points.’
Nico Hulkenberg commented on this
weekend’s race stated:
‘Bahrain is always an enjoyable weekend: I really like the paddock and
the atmosphere around the venue is great. There's always a fairy-tale feel in
the paddock and the facilities are fantastic, especially at night when all the
lights turn on. It is also the place where I drove my first Formula One race,
back in 2010, so I have some very good memories about this race - not least
last year's race, which was very enjoyable to drive.
"The track is quite tricky to
master, especially as the sand blowing on the track can make it really dusty,
so grip doesn't always improve throughout the weekend. There are a few very
nice corners, especially the double left-hander before the back straight: it's
difficult to get it right and it is very easy to lock the inside front wheel.
It's a very technical track with a few good overtaking opportunities, and at
the same time it's a challenge from a mechanical point-of-view as well, taking
a lot from your rear tyres and from your brakes.
"After a disappointing weekend in
China, we want to be in a condition to make the most of any opportunities we
may get in the race. We know where we stand in terms of performance and we know
the work we have to do to get closer to the teams in front of us. In the last
few years there have been some very eventful races in Bahrain, so hopefully we
will be able to challenge for the points and come away with some rewards to
close this first part of the season.’
Sahara Force India return to the
scene of their last podium finish which came at the 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix
which proved to be one of the most exciting races in recent Formula One
history.
© Ben Johnston 2015
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